“Dis nie myne nie, dis nie joune nie...” City honours Kramer and Petersen

Two of Cape Town’s most influential cultural figures, David Kramer and the late Taliep Petersen, were awarded the Freedom of the City during a Special Council sitting at City Hall on Tuesday.

The Freedom of the City is Cape Town’s highest civic honour and was bestowed by Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis on behalf of the City of Cape Town. Kramer accepted the honour in person, while Petersen’s posthumous award was received by his daughters, Jawaahier, Fatiema and Aeesha Petersen.

The ceremony featured a musical and video tribute celebrating the pair’s enduring creative partnership and their contribution to South African theatre and music. Highlights included their groundbreaking collaborations on productions such as District Six: The Musical and Kat and the Kings, works that captured the rhythms, language and lived experiences of Cape Town’s communities.

In his address, Hill-Lewis said the awards recognised Kramer and Petersen not only as artists of exceptional talent, but as cultural icons whose work helped shape the city’s identity. He said their storytelling preserved memory across generations and reflected a shared humanity rooted in place.

Quoting District Six: The Musical, the Mayor said: “Dis nie myne nie, dis nie joune nie. This place lives in us.”

He said their work ensured future generations would understand not only what happened in Cape Town’s past, “but how it felt”, from the sounds of neighbourhoods to the humour, spirit and resilience that endured despite hardship.

Hill-Lewis said adding Kramer and Petersen to the roll of Freedom of the City recipients – alongside figures such as Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Christiaan Barnard – affirmed that culture and creativity were as vital to the city as political leadership or scientific innovation.

He said their work dissolved artificial divisions created by apartheid, bore witness to forced removals and ensured that communities such as District Six were never erased from memory.

The Freedom of the City awards form part of Cape Town’s broader Civic Honours programme, which recognises individuals and organisations whose service and achievements have had a lasting impact on the city.

The programme includes categories such as the Civic Honours Book and the Mayor’s Medal, celebrating excellence across community service, culture, sport, conservation and acts of bravery, following public nominations and Council approval.

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