Johannesburg – Newly crowned Miss SA Lalela Mswane will represent South Africa in the Miss Universe pageant in Israel despite backlash from a civil society group calling her to pull out of the event.
Mswane, 24, who was crowned on October 16, was called upon to pull out of the event because it is occurring in a state that has been accused of apartheid-like human rights offenses against the Palestinians.
This comes after Palestine solidarity organisation Africa4Palestine said that Mswane would no longer participate in the upcoming Miss Universe competition, amid a growing call for countries to boycott the international pageant to be held in Israel later this year.
The Miss South Africa Organisation’s CEO, Stephanie Weil, said that she was aware of reports stating that Mswane had withdrawn, and labelled all statements as “completely unfounded and untrue”.
The organisation emphasised that they “are not a political organisation and the Miss Universe pageant is not a politically inspired event”.
Furthermore, the Economic Freedom Fighters have joined forces with South Africans in support for Mswane to boycott the “Apartheid Isreal”
“To Lalela Mswane, we say stand with the oppressed, let the beauty of the Palestine and Palestinians come first. Let is be affirmed through a complete boycott of their oppressor: Apartheid Isreal,” the party wrote in a statement.
EFF Joins All South Africans In A Call For Miss South Africa To Boycott Apartheid Israel pic.twitter.com/4G92yl9tY8
— Economic Freedom Fighters (@EFFSouthAfrica) November 10, 2021
To the blacks who are supporting non blacks to pressurize Miss SA to not go to Israel, after this, hope you guys discuss together the plight of blacks in south africa and include issues of inequality, the effects of apartheid and land while we are still talking about human rights
— MTN8 2022 Finalists🇿🇦🇮🇱 (@PhilaniMhlongo_) November 10, 2021
https://twitter.com/Sandile_K14/status/1458666235294539778?s=20
Miss SA of 2003 refused to compete in Nigeria because of the violation of human rights. But in 2021 Miss SA is competing in Israel, an Apartheid State, and saying bona they are not political. Why ingathi we're moving backwards???#MissSA2021
— WALKING.RED.FLAG (@_esona_) November 11, 2021
The anti-#Israel lobby in this country is made up of mostly political-elites and corporate media who pretend they speak for all (or most) of us.
They don’t.
Miss SA (#MissSA) has every right and every #freedom to go compete in Israel, and shouldn’t be harassed for doing so.
— Sihle Ngobese (@BigDaddyLiberty) November 10, 2021
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