The klopse season is in full swing, and klopse base en teams are getting ready to entertain the minstrel lovers of the Cape and abroad.
The gears have been made and launched on Facebook for all to see and the bands have their pad numbertjies sorted, soe mense die ding gaan ruk.
It was however quite sad for me to hear from Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association (KKKA) director Muneeb Gambeno last week that there will not be a Voorsmakie road march this year.
This prelude to the Tweede Nuwejaar jol usually takes place in the Cape Town CBD on Reconciliation Day on 16 December, which is this Sunday.
And everyone loses out - the audience because they don’t get to experience a lekker jol, and the minstrels themselves.
The Voorsmakie is a good business opportunity for the klopse to make some much-needed cash, as spectators will usually purchase their team colours and merchandise beforehand as they come out in support.
DON'T ATTACK: Muneeb Gambeno. Photo: SUPPLIED
With this event now scrapped, I think the sale of T-shirts, hats and so on will definitely take a hit.
More than that, what is 16 December without the Voorsmakie?
This day kind of sets the tone and spirit of the Tweede Nuwejaar jol, just like the switching on of the liggies ushers in the festive season for the City of Cape Town.
But organisers, the KKKA, say there are no funds available for the Voorsmakie this year.
I do feel it is pointless to run an event of this magnitude out of your own pocket, with major expenses like buses, a stadium, and so on still to come in the new year.
We should be realistic in our thinking before we attack the KKKA because, in the end, it simply does not make sense to rack up a huge debt to sustain a culture that, in reality, is the duty of the City that benefits most from it.
The City should have allocated funds for the Voorsmakie and not treat it as an insignificant event.
Business owners are all aware that one cannot tender with the City if you are indebted to them, so I think it is wise of the event organisers to count their kroon and rather withdraw from the Voorsmakie.
The Tweede Nuwejaar street parade is the more important event here, the stadiums for the competitions next year should take priority, so if that means cancelling the Voorsmakie, then I support that decision, heartbreaking as it may be.
Let us as the public and minstrel community be mature and open-minded about this, and not take to social media to vent our anger and blame certain organisations or individuals for this.
To tell you the truth, the Voorsmakie has no historical significance, it is an innovation that came years after the Tweede Nuwejaar parade.
It was just another opportunity for the klopse to give the public a lekker party and show off their new gears.
So let us not lose any sleep over this.
On the positive side, certain klopse teams will definitely save money by giving this day a miss.
I have been in this game for many years and can vouch that although some teams generate money from merchandise, others struggle to even make it to town for the Voorsmakie.
We can only hope and pray for some miracle for the KKKA to still make this event possible.
In the meantime, let’s look forward to another successful season because I can tell you now, it is going to be massive.