City cancels slavery march

By Henry Booysen
30 November 2007

The City of Cape Town has regrettably cancelled the abolition of slavery march which was supposedly planned for this evening.

According to Mansoor Mohamed the executive director of economic, social development and tourism, the City had only received a notice from the organisers of the event for the first time on the 9th of November 2007.

Due to an increase of festive season activities and due to law enforcement, police already being occupied with 34 other events this weekend, for safety reasons the City cannot accommodate 500 people marching from the parliamentary precinct to the top of Strand Street.

“For next year we are planning to provide extra support for the organisers so that the event can go ahead without any hassle,” says Mansoor.

“The ANC is really concerned about the cancellation of the march, because keeping alive the memory of slavery is very important. Coloured and black people were affected by slavery in the Western Cape, and we will ask for a proper explanation into the why the march was cancelled, “says Garth Strachan ANC provincial spokesperson.