bandooq
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Early in March, it was announced that the annual Top Gear festival that was due to be held in Durban would be moved to Johannesburg.
In a brief statement, James Cooke-Priest, chief operations officer of Top Gear Live, said: “South Africa has always been one of our favourite destinations on the tour. We have a particular fondness for the crowds we entertain here, as they are always so loud and enthusiastic and return year after year to support us.
“Although we will not be in Durban this year we are taking steps to stage an alternative Top Gear Live event in Johannesburg and we shall be announcing those plans shortly”.
Breach of contract
However, The Mercury reported that the festival’s organisers are threatening to sue the eThekwini municipality for ‘breach of contract’.
According to city manager, S’bu Sithole, the city had hosted the festival as per its contract for the last three years. It had provisionally agreed that it would host the festival for another three years. However, this year, the festival organisers made additional demands which were not within the city’s budget of R5 million allocated to the event.
Other parliamentarians said that the money had not been allocated at all, with the DA’s economic development committee member, Anne McDonnel saying that the festival was not even tabled in the department’s 2014/15 budget.
The event attracts 67 000 people to the Moses Mabhida stadium every year.
It has not yet been confirmed where it will be held in Johannesburg.
In a brief statement, James Cooke-Priest, chief operations officer of Top Gear Live, said: “South Africa has always been one of our favourite destinations on the tour. We have a particular fondness for the crowds we entertain here, as they are always so loud and enthusiastic and return year after year to support us.
“Although we will not be in Durban this year we are taking steps to stage an alternative Top Gear Live event in Johannesburg and we shall be announcing those plans shortly”.
Breach of contract
However, The Mercury reported that the festival’s organisers are threatening to sue the eThekwini municipality for ‘breach of contract’.
According to city manager, S’bu Sithole, the city had hosted the festival as per its contract for the last three years. It had provisionally agreed that it would host the festival for another three years. However, this year, the festival organisers made additional demands which were not within the city’s budget of R5 million allocated to the event.
Other parliamentarians said that the money had not been allocated at all, with the DA’s economic development committee member, Anne McDonnel saying that the festival was not even tabled in the department’s 2014/15 budget.
The event attracts 67 000 people to the Moses Mabhida stadium every year.
It has not yet been confirmed where it will be held in Johannesburg.
