Johannesburg – Gareth Brown Ragovan, who disappeared from the entertainment scene in 2007, has made a strong comeback. This time in politics.
She has now joined the Patriotic Alliance party founded by Gayton McKenzie and Kenny Kunene.
“I was introduced to the party through a friend. I met Gayton and having read two of his books I was always a fan and admired his tenacity to succeed. The party’s values align with mine in that it’s not just all talk. This is just a stepping stone in what I want to achieve,” she said.
The former beauty queen, from Klerksdorp, was also a Miss SA Teen and Miss SA finalist, kept many company as a SABC continuity presenter with others including Robert Marawa, Claire Mawisa, Rowen Cloete and others.
A graduate of Chemical Engineering, she says she left the entertainment world and went into the corporate world as a marketing and communications strategist. “I needed stability and to grow as person,” she says.
A mother of three, she is now also the party’s mayoral candidate for Klerksdorp in the forthcoming local government elections.
Having started her own company, Gees entertainment – specialising in events, she also vowed to make a change in her struggling community, Alabama.
“People may ask why politics? But I have always been involved in politics if you look at it. I am always involved in community projects trying to make a difference so people can live better lives and not just live hand to mouth,” she said.
She started a foundation for young girls almost seven years ago and runs a Miss Highschool SA.
“Our children especially our girls need positive role models, motivation and dreams that they can see realised by working hard and believing they can achieve anything. The foundation affords them more than just a beauty contest. The objective of the pageant is to empower young girls through education, participating in charity work therefore building social awareness and responsibility amongst them.”
She says, always trying to make a difference in her neighbourhood, by creating platforms for small businesses to thrive, she can now be afforded the opportunity to be even more useful in making a difference.
The controversial Zodwa Wanbantu has also since signed up with the party.
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