MBABANE – Five contestants triumphed in a fiercely contested Miss Culture Shiselweni competition held on Saturday at Dees Guest House.
The five young women, who advanced through the rigorous eliminations from a total of 10 participants, are Sharon Greeff, Temalungelo Msibi, Sengeto de-Souza, Petronella Koegler and Owenkosi Steenkamp. This was confirmed by Shiselweni Miss Culture Regional Officer Nomcebo Dlamini. “We now have the top five and they will go on to compete with all the other regions once they have selected their own top five from the groups they have. This means now they are headed for national competition,” Dlamini said.
The Miss Cultural Heritage pageant aims to promote local culture by grooming young women to become ambassadors of the kingdom’s culture. The pageant has been a consistent feature among beauty competitions in the country, with recent winners including Lindelwa Maziya, Melinda Mavuso and Gcinizwi Tsikati, the current Miss Culture.
This past weekend, competition was also attended by Stanley Dlamini, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture (ENCAC). He applauded the swift progress of the Shiselweni Miss Culture eliminations and emphasised the responsibility these young women will bear. “Our culture has a great influence in the country and abroad, we hope the women will be the driving force in being ambassadors of our culture. We hope they will uphold such a role with respect,” he said.
The event not only showcased the talents and poise of the candidates, but also advanced the importance of cultural preservation. Through such platforms, young women are empowered to take pride in their heritage and promote it on national and international stages.
Leave a comment