The ANC in the Western Cape has called for the Taj Hotel in Cape Town to apologize directly to minstrel groups and Cape Malay Choirs and iron out any differences.
This follows a request from the prestigious hotel to the City of Cape Town for New Year’s Day parades to be silent when passing their establishment, so as not to disturb sleeping guests.
The Cape Malay Choirs held their parade on Wednesday, December 30, while the minstrels will be take to the city’s streets in their trademark brightly coloured costumes in celebration of the “Tweede Nuwe Jaar” (second New Year) on Saturday.
On Thursday, hotel manager Michael Pownall apologised for sending the request, calling it insensitive before offering a full retraction.
This, however, is not enough, the ANC believes.
“The ANC deplores this request to have complete silence for a mere walk past when the minstrels who in modern history celebrate their slave tradition and expression of freedom for more than a century now,” provincial party leader Marius Fransman said in a statement.
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CT hotel sorry for trying to silence choirs
Author: Staff Reporter Updated: 06:15 01-01-2016
The manager of a Cape Town five star hotel has apologised for asking the Cape Malay Choirs not to play music when they marched past the hotel during their traditional parade earlier this week. Michael Pownall, the manager of the Taj Hotel, had written to the Mayoral Committee Member for Tourism, Events and Economic Development, Garreth Bloor, demanding that the choirs march past his hotel without playing music. http://mobi.iafrica.com/sa-news/2016/01/01/ct-hotel-sorry-for-trying-to-silence-choirs/