The Arts and Culture Department said that should Miss SA (Mswane) compete on the global stage; it would be without the backing of the government.
In a statement released by The Department of Arts, Culture and Sports on Sunday, it is stated that the government had withdrawn its support and of the country for her to compete in a global competition set to take place in Israel in December.
Should Miss SA Lalela Mswane participate in the upcoming Miss Universe pageant she will do so without the support of the government.
Miss SA CEO Stephanie Weil told 702‘s Clement Manyathela that Mswane was going
“The issue at hand is whether she wants to go or not and it’s a decision not taken lightly, it was after much consultation with both her and myself and the Miss Universe organisation talking about whether she wants to go or not and the truth is she does want to go and represent her country.”
Minister Nathi Mthethwa says the reasons that require withdrawal outweigh Lalela’s interest in participating in the contest.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“If anything, by withdrawing, Miss South Africa’s reputation and overall standing will be far more advanced in South Africa and internationally in comparison to a once-off event that can prove disastrous to her future and public standing as a young, black woman,” Mthethwa said.[/perfectpullquote]
The South African government and including other countries describe as an apartheid state due to that, the department said it would not associate with the pageant.
[…] Beauty pageants were initially known as contests that rank the contestants according to physical attributes. Over the past few years, we’ve seen them evolve into something more meaningful than just appearance and societal standards. Mr and Miss Prof Bizana is a pageant that prides itself in advocating for change among youth and creating opportunities for the youth of Bizana. […]