The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival
The Cape Town Minstrel Carnival is one of the many attractions that take place in Cape Town, South Africa during the summer holiday season. The Cape Minstrels have been performing on the streets of Cape Town for at least a century, the parade taking place on the 2nd January annually. The minstrel carnival has its origins in the period of slavery and was arranged as a celebratory party for the slaves on a day when they were given leave from their jobs. The colourful costumes adorned by the various troupes adds life to the streets of Cape Town. A crowd of approximately one hundred thousand people line the procession path of the troupes into town. The 2012 event was advertised to start at 10h00, but the main parade only got going at about 2pm. This is unacceptable and this aspect should be seriously addressed by the main players involved in arranging this event. It is apparent that major infrastructure has to be put in place for this event to proceed safely and successfully. The police