Minstrel leaders representing 15 000 performers have resigned from the Cape Minstrel Association en masse to set up rival organisations, leaving what they say are "corrupt leaders" out in the cold.
Two life presidents, the association's only official paid employee and five directors have resigned, citing drug abuse, corruption, money-laundering and criminal cases pending against senior serving members.
They have formally declared their public affiliation to two new structures, the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association, and the Western Cape Street Bands. They say these will now become the official institutions overseeing the annual new year festival.
Melvyn Matthews, who is leading the breakaway group, said the carnival had to take a stand, clean up its image, and project the festival as a "proudly South African cultural treasure that is worthy of both government and corporate support".
He named two association leaders who he claimed were bringing the carnival into disrepute, including one who he said was being investigated by police as a criminal "high-flyer", and another who was due in court on charges of housebreaking and exchange control violations.
Community safety minister Leonard Ramatlakane
welcomed the move, saying he was pleased the carnival had decided to get its act together.
"All sorts of allegations around drug-dealing have been levelled at carnival organisers, who are currently under investigation in terms of our strategy against high-flyers," he said.
"We are calling on the gangsters and drug dealers to reform or meet the might of the state, and in this context we support this positive step taken by the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association.
"We believe it is in the interests of the youth, who need to be protected against the evils of drugs and drug-dealing," Ramatlakane said.
Speaking exclusively to the Cape Argus on Thursday, several architects of the coup said the decision to resign en masse from the minstrel organisation had come about "because the carnival needs to rid itself of its negative image".
"The creation of the Kaapse Klopse Karnival Association and the Western Cape Street Bands as the new structures to manage the carnival is a result of the fact that most of the people who participate, as participants or spectators, no longer wish to be associated with an organisation that has a stigma attached to it," Matthews said.
The resignations had been "a long time coming".
"It is now time to purge the organisation of bad elements that have taken control of our people's culture.
"By taking with us 20 troupes made up of almost 15 000 performers, and the majority voting block in the association, we have created a structure with which we can now build a carnival that is anti-drug and anti-gang, and which will in time earn the respectability that every major institution needs to succeed," said Matthews.
Among the personalities who have thrown their weight behind the initiative is Jameldien Juma, the leader of one of the most colourful troupes, the Fabulous Woodstock Starlites.
"We had to take this action because over the past five years we have experienced really bad situations in the carnival association, including leadership acting without a mandate. The carnival has had no annual general meetings for the past five years," Juma said.
Other supporters of the move were the 1 000-strong membership of the Cape Town Hawkers, from Bonteheuwel, Noors Elsies River and many other groups.
