Will Miss Eswatini receive her car today?

MBABANE – Judgement day has arrived!

It has been over a year of frustration and legal wrangling, but the dispute over Miss Eswatini 2024, Temvelo Nicole Mtsetfwa’s prize car has finally reached a head.

The managing director of the responsible companies, facing imminent imprisonment for contempt of court, has made a crucial, binding promise.

The Crown and the courtroom have spoken; now, the delivery truck must arrive.

The long wait for the Miss Eswatini 2024 winner, is set to end today, December 15, 2025.

The managing director of the companies responsible for her prize car had committed to delivering the Jaecoo J7 motor vehicle to the queen on this date. This commitment was secured only after Mtsetfwa filed an urgent court application seeking to have the director imprisoned for ignoring an earlier High Court order.

The core of the legal dispute centres on the failure by Kwando Lifestyle Brands and Oukitel Eswatini to hand over the Jaecoo J7 prize vehicle, which Mtsetfwa won in November 2024.

In her affidavit, Mtsetfwa submitted that the written agreement, signed with Managing Director Mduduzi Shongwe in November 2024, stipulated that the car should have been delivered by December 19, 2024. When the companies failed to meet this initial deadline, Mtsetfwa pursued legal action. This resulted in a default Judgment being granted by Judge Nkosinathi Maseko on August 15, 2025 (Case No: 1361/2025).

A default judgment is a binding ruling made by a court in favour of the plaintiff (Mtsetfwa) when the defendant fails to take a required procedural step within the time limits set by law.

Through her attorneys, Mtsetfwa sought an order calling upon Shongwe to show cause why he should not be found in contempt of the August 15 order. She implored the court to direct that he be committed to prison until the contempt is purged by the delivery of the vehicle.

Facing potential jail time, the director reportedly committed to the court that the Jaecoo J7 motor vehicle would be delivered on or before December 15, 2025. This undertaking acts as a measure to purge the alleged contempt, temporarily staying any punitive action, provided the delivery is completed by today’s deadline.

Mtsetfwa has confirmed that she has performed all her obligations under the agreement and remains ready and willing to receive the vehicle upon delivery. The matter is currently pending before Judge Ticheme Dlamini.