The reigning Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi has landed in South Africa. Hundreds of South Africans braved the rainy weather to welcome Miss Universe at her official homecoming at the OR Tambo International airport on Saturday morning.
She is touching down the soil for the first time, almost two months after winning Miss Universe in Atlanta, USA.
Tunzi says she has written a lot of messages to people since she was crowned. “I have written many pages of representation, I have written many pages of inclusion because we take it for granted and we don’t know how much that means to people, and it’s not even a message about being black. It’s a message about being different and about feeling that you don’t belong in a society.”
“You don’t have to change for anything, you are who you are and the world has to bend to your rules and that’s exactly what it is.”
She also reassured young girls to celebrate who they are, “I want to reassure people that my hair is as beautiful as any other hair. We need to celebrate us. I want people to stop asking me why do you have your hair.”
Some of the people to welcome Tunzi include Miss South Africa, Sasha Lee and the Soweto Gospel choir who performed at the event.
Our @Official_MissSA @MissSacha_Lee amongst those in waiting for @zozitunzi.#MissUniverse2019#zozicomeshome pic.twitter.com/DYWg2c8ybI
— ORTambo (@ortambo_int) February 8, 2020
Meanwhile, Artist Lebani Sirenje famously known as Rasta was under fire after painting of Miss Universe.
According to Rasta this is Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi. #ZoziComeshome #ZozibiniTunzi pic.twitter.com/pinLnNL203
— Man’s NOT Barry Roux (@AdvoBarryRoux) February 8, 2020
Someone please stop #Rasta #ZoziComeshome pic.twitter.com/FljDFLIwrv
— Hulisani Mavhandu (@Hulisani42) February 8, 2020
It’s time we take #Rasta‘s brushes… ?? #ZoziComeshome @pmcafrica #PechéAfrica @danielmarven @SciTheComedist @HermaineM pic.twitter.com/9IwTz0sBu0
— Peché Africa ?? (@pmcafrica) February 8, 2020
Gautain has also offered free rides for South Africans travelling to the airport to welcome Tunzi.
Wow, the atmosphere at #ORTambo is electric! Just a reminder: if you have an armband and travelled for free on the #Gautrain from Park, Marlboro, Midrand or Pretoria, you have until 12.30pm to ride back to those stations for free ??#ZoziComesHome @Official_MissSA @zozitunzi pic.twitter.com/GYqLvcoCm4
— Gautrain (@TheGautrain) February 8, 2020
– additional reporting Zoleka Qodashe and Wendy Mothata
