Cape Town - A blind saxophonist who relies on his instrument to help him make ends meet says his livelihood is being threatened after he was told to vacate his busking spots along Camps Bay’s Victoria Road.
Kenneth Herman, 54, has been busking in Camps Bay for the past 10 years. In February, he appealed for help to repair his saxophone, which was being held together by elastic bands.
A few days after his appeal, he was assisted with a new saxophone with the help of the Western Cape Premier’s Office.
Herman says he wakes up early from Wednesdays to Sundays to catch a taxi from Hanover Park for the CBD, where he has to ask people to help him down a flight of stairs to catch a taxi to Camps Bay.
Carrying his small camping chair, self-made collection box and a case for his saxophone, Herman says he was booted by law enforcement officers from his spot opposite Kauai and from his other spot close to the taxi rank.
“For the past two weeks, I was being stopped from busking by law enforcement officers in the Camps Bay area,” he says.
“I was told by the officers that there are complaints from surrounding restaurants, saying I am making a noise with my saxophone playing.
“I have never in all the 10 years of busking here had a problem with any of the business owners.
“When the officers told me to leave the spot outside Kauai, I got up and left and went to continue busking a few metres away at the Camps Bay taxi tank, but that was also a problem.
“Sometimes there are youths there also busking by dancing and playing drums but they aren’t asked to move.
“I don’t have a busking permit because that was never a requirement for me here where I busk.
“I was also sad because usually I go busk without having money to travel home, but I end up making enough to travel home with. But when they stopped me from my busking, it was still early in the day and so I didn’t have my money to travel home. I was depending on that day of busking to make a few rand to sustain myself and still travel home.”
Herman said he usually stood outside Kauai from 11am until 4pm, depending on the way business was going that day.
“I feel the money that’s inside my bucket to know if people are supporting well, or if it’s a bad day.”
The City’s law enforcement spokesperson, Wayne Dyason, says: “The City’s law enforcement department is looking into the matter and will respond once the information is verified. With regards to busking in general, no permit is needed.”