‘LACK OF SPONSORSHIPS DENTS MISS ESWATINI STANDARD’

MBABANE – Is there any hope for the Miss Eswatini pageant? Following the trending public’s outcry on the lack of sponsorships and limited prizes won by the beauty queen and her princesses, contrary to that, Pageants Eswatini has released registration forms for Miss Eswatini and Miss Teen for this year.

The Miss Eswatini pageant has been under grave scrutiny in the past few months as the public believes the beauty queen deserves better, in terms of the prizes she walks away after winning the prevalent title.
Manzini Member of Parliament (MP), during a parliament sitting, Macford Sibandze raised the issue, where he made it clear that the entire competition had lost its dignity. He suggested that the pageant should be scrapped.

disturbing

The MP said the beauty queen deserved to be given a car as part of the main prizes, as seeing the title holder using public transport or hitchhiking was a disturbing sight, more especially because the title holder assumes the duties of being the country’s ambassador as soon as she is crowned Miss Eswatini.

Pageants Eswatini President Catrien Potgieter, confirmed that forms were already out and encouraged aspiring beauties to register. However, she declined to comment about the outcry on lack of sponsorships for the pageants and them losing their dignity. She referred all questions to Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC) CEO Stanley Dlamini. 

scrapped

When contacted, Dlamini confirmed that the lack of sponsorship was a concern for them; however, he was quick to dismiss the notion that MPs wanted the pageant to be scrapped. “There is none such from parliament. They only said the car prize should be made compulsory,” he said.

He said no MP suggested that the competition should be scrapped, before saying he would not entertain any further questions. Dlamini said he had no further comments as far as the pageants were concerned.
Social media platforms also raised the issue of the title holder not being given a car, and said this made it difficult for her to conduct her duties properly while also adding that it left her vulnerable.

During previous interviews, both Dlamini and Potgieter said they were happy with the beauty queen receiving a scholarship to study abroad as the main prize.
Miss Eswatini’s long-time sponsor, Viwa’s Driving School said scrapping the pageant would be bad.

“It would be bad news to us who partner with Miss Eswatini because for us, it is another way of giving back to the nation and also to some of the national events we have in the country. It would also be sad news for the society because we know the beauty queens always do a lot of charity projects from which the society benefit,” Sifiso Matsebula, the owner of Viwas Driving School, said.

initial

Former Miss Eswatini, Nomphilo Mncina, suggested that the organisers of the competition needed to revisit the history books and follow the initial purpose and mandate of the pageant.
“I would suggest a proper relaunch of the pageant with the support of the affiliated ministry, as well as the media. It’s up to all of us to bring back its dignity and for me as a former title holder, it is sad to see it in the state it is in now,” Mncina said.
Another former title holder, Samu Magagula, also believed the pageant should be scrapped. “Let it be scrapped until pageant directors are able to raise sponsorships or proof of sponsorships and international participation before it can continue with crowning and exploiting young ladies,” she said.

The current title holder, Nosipho Dlamini, received a scholarship to study abroad and free driving lessons at Viwa’s Driving School. She also walked away with a hamper of beauty products. She will not be attending the Miss World competition. It has been a while for a local title holder to attend the prestigious international event. 

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Former Miss Eswatini director Vinah Mamba, was not available for comment. In South Africa, when Miss South Africa was crowned in 2018, she walked away with a prize package of more than E3 million, which was the largest in the history of the event.  The winner received E1 million in cash from Cell C and Sun International, as well as the use of a fully-furnished and serviced apartment for the year of reign.

She also walked away with a Nissan Qashqai worth E445 500 and was further provided with the use of designer garments for her red carpet looks.  She also received Cell C voice and data contracts, Discovery Insure insurance and medical aid and Africology product and spa services.

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