MCQP TO HONOUR MANDELA

The largest gay and lesbian party on the continent will pay tribute to Nelson Mandela this weekend.

The 20th Mother City Queer Project (MCQP) costume bash will take place at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday, 14 December.

Organisers announced on Monday that a special commemorative area in honour of Tata Madiba will be created for visitors to pay respect to the father of the rainbow nation.

There, they will be able leave their comments and written tributes.

“We will pay homage to our Tata Madiba, the father of a free and inclusive South Africa – a country where everybody matters, no matter what their race, sexuality, religion or convictions,” said event director Ian McMahon.

“MCQP was born in 1994 as a tribute to South Africa’s constitution, freedom of speech and our rich diversity – and was inspired by Nelson Mandela himself.

“I remember the flyer for one of the earlier MCQP events, in 1998. I was so proud to see Nelson Mandela’s face on there,” said McMahon.

He added that everyone attending the event on Saturday will also be asked to participate in a minute of silence at 10pm, to pay respect to the Mandela family

“We are appreciative of the long and hard fight Madiba had to endure in order for all of us to enjoy and live in a free South Africa,” said McMahon.

Mayor Patricia de Lille announced on Saturday that the City of Cape Town will host a commemorative event at the Cape Town Stadium on Wednesday where prominent local acts will perform as well as a potential international artist.

McMahon says that it’s only fitting that MCQP will now also honour Madiba’s life.

“Even though we’ve known of Madiba’s deteriorating health for a while, we are still very shocked by the news. It is difficult to imagine our lives without him, but we believe that his spirit and the values that he exhibited during his life will live on forever in the lives of the people that loved him so dearly,” he said.