City Hall’s too small

Lovers of Cape Malay choirs were so desperate to attend a show last weekend that they made fake tickets to get into the sold-out event.

Now the Cape Malay Choir Board says it wants the City to open the Good Hope Centre for its annual singing contest, saying City Hall is far too small.

The board’s competition started last weekend in a packed City Hall, where hundreds of supporters were turned away.

The competition runs for the next few weekends.

Board president Shafiek April says that when they used the Good Hope Centre, up to 5000 people could attend their competition for the coveted Silver Fez trophy.

UPSET: CMCB’s Shafiek April. Photo: SUPPLIED

When the City of Cape Town decided to rent out the centre to a film company a few years ago, many events were without a venue, including the Malay Choirs and Spring Queen pageant.

The City Hall can only hold about 900 people.

“The City is stifling us. They don’t care about our culture and we are local people,” April told the Cape Argus.

“They are just interested in making money, but we must have places for our community.

“We can’t understand why we can’t go back to the Good Hope Centre. It seems good only for the film company because the City can make money.”

April said the board now had to hire extra security and fencing to curb people from coming in at the door without a ticket.

“We can sell only a certain number of tickets and we had to turn away hundreds of people,” he says.

Board spokesperson Ismail Ely said the City had assisted them to host their competition at the Bellville Velodrome, but it was “not central and it is costly to get there”.

“We have had our competition at the Good Hope Centre since 1983. Not having this is a challenge for our culture,” says Ely.

“People look forward to this event. It is disappointing that they can’t enter the venue.

“Some people made fake tickets to get in because the tickets were sold out. They were so desperate to see the show.”

James Vos, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, said the Good Hope Centre was being leased for use by the film industry.

“The City values the cultural contribution of the Cape Malay choirs, and support of R1.3 million for City services and waiver of costs for City-owned venues forms part of the package of support for the associations,” says Vos.

“Part of the cash funding was for transportation costs to assist the choir members to travel to venues.”