Cultural icons David Kramer, Taliep Petersen to be awarded Freedom of Cape Town

The City will bestow its highest Civic Honour – the Freedom of the City – on two of its cultural icons, David Kramer and the late Taliep Petersen, at a forthcoming ceremony in January 2026. 

The City will also award Civic Honours and Mayor’s Medals to a range of luminaries at a Council ceremony in November this year. 

“We look forward to awarding the Freedom of Cape Town to two very special individuals who count among our city’s most-loved, most famous, and influential cultural ambassadors: David Kramer and the late Taliep Petersen, who tragically left us in 2006, and whose family have agreed to accept the award,” Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said.

“Taliep and David take their place alongside titans of history like President Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who are among only a handful of individuals to be awarded the freedom of Cape Town.

“This legendary duo have not only entertained us over the generations, but have fundamentally shaped South African musical theatre and the rich cultural heritage of the Western Cape. Aside from their countless individual creative achievements, who can forget their masterpiece theatrical collaborations for ‘District Six: The Musical’ and ‘Kat and the Kings’?

“The genius of these timeless productions, is how Taliep and David blended entertainment with social commentary and activism, telling powerful stories of forced removals and community resilience. We are excited for Capetonians to join us at the ceremony early next year to celebrate these icons on the Grand Parade, an occasion that will bring to life the rich cultural flair of Cape Town that these artists are known for,” said Hill-Lewis.

At a Council ceremony this November, the City will further confer Civic Honours and Mayor’s Medals on a range of individuals or organisations who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary acts of service, outstanding contributions to the wider city community, personal sacrifice and contributions to nation building.

“Civic Honours are about recognising the contributions of remarkable people who have delivered exceptional public service, in any field of social, community or civic interest,” Hill-Lewis said.

“Honours recipients have generally achieved extraordinary acclaim in their chosen field, have won international recognition for their talent or contribution, or distinguished themselves with extraordinary community service. We look forward to honouring our 2025 recipients at a ceremony this November,” said Hill-Lewis.

The awarding of honours follows a public nominations process held earlier in 2025, followed by Council approval of nominations, confirmation of acceptance by nominees, and finally the awards ceremony, to be held in City Council Chambers on November 14.

Awards are conferred in several categories, including Freedom of the City, Civic Honours Book, and the Mayor’s Medal.

Cape Times