Africa for Palestine has hailed government’s decision to withdraw support for reigning Miss South Africa, Lalela Mswane, at the upcoming Miss Universe pageant taking place in Israel next month.
This comes after the local pageant organisers disregarded government’s plea to withdraw from the Miss Universe event.
The decision is due to growing calls for Mswane to boycott the pageant scheduled to take place in Eilat on the 12th of December.
Miss South Africa organisers say that she should attend, arguing that the pageant is not a politically inspired event.
Braam Hannekom, board member of Africa for Palestine, says the government is doing the right thing.
“Our government is representing our people. It’s respecting our history and our past. Some of the listeners be aware that in 1976, nine participants in the Miss World beauty pageant withdrew because apartheid South Africa was participating in that pageant. Thereafter, apartheid South Africa was banned from participating.”
In the video below, SA government withdraws support for the Miss South Africa pageant:
Lalela Mswane was crowned Miss South Africa 2021 during the competition’s finale at the Grand West Casino in Cape Town in mid-October.
She beat nine other finalists from around the country to clinch the title. The 24-year-old is from KwaSokhulu near Richards Bay KwaZulu-Natal.
She is a model and dancer that also holds a Bachelor of Law qualification from the University of Pretoria.
Jewish board disappointed
Meanwhile, the South African Jewish board of deputies says it is disappointed by government’s decision to withdraw support for Mswane.
While there’s been a public outcry and calls for Mswane to boycott the pageant, but local pageant organisers say that Mswane should attend, arguing that the pageant is not a politically inspired event.
Professor Karen Milner, National Chair of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, says it was difficult for them to keep quiet on the matter.
“As citizens of South Africa, as people who want the best, both for South Africa and who are really committed to finding lasting peace in the Middle East, that statement seems to meet nobody’s needs. It’s always easy to say the majority of people support my views and the majority of people support your view. I certainly think that there are varied views, and people are entitled to have varied views on the matter,” says Professor Milner.
SAJBD reacts to government’s decision to withdraw its Miss SA pageant support:
