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Ministry demands answers on Miss Deaf

28/05/2013 04:24:00 BY NHLANHLA MATHUNJWA

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Nokuthula Mbatha.

MBABANE – The Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs has summoned the SNCAC to explain about the ongoing problems surrounding the upcoming Miss Deaf Queen Africa pageant.

SNCAC stands for Swaziland National Council of Arts and Culture.
The ministry wants SNCAC to explain the reasons why the SNCAC had challenges in dealing with the issues surrounding the Miss Deaf Beauty Pageant.

SNCAC has since been told to prepare a report where they are expected to explain the reasons why they seem to have challenges in hosting the Miss Deaf Queen Africa.
The pageant is expected to be held in September and the country had been given the rights of hosting it this year.
Among other things, SNCAC has to explain how the country got the rights of hosting the pageant.

Also part of the report would be on the resignation of Nokuthula Mbatha, who was the main organiser of the Miss Deaf Beauty Pageant.
Mbatha resigned two weeks ago citing unworkable conditions within the organisation.Stanley Dlamini, SNCAC Chief Executive Officer, confirmed that they had been summoned by the ministry. Dlamini said they would soon be preparing a report that would then be handed over to the ministry’s Principal Secretary Sicelo Dlamini.

“We have been summoned by the ministry. This came after it was discovered that there were a lot of issues involving the organisation of the beauty pageant to be held in September. During our meeting with the PS, we were advised to prepare a report and send it to the ministry as soon as possible.”

Dlamini did not want to get into the details of the report saying they would only submit everything to the PS.
“It would not be proper for me to mention the details on the matter because it is now being handled by the ministry. Ours is to submit our report and the ministry will then decide on the next move. The only thing I can confirm is that we have met the PS and he wants the report. The only time we will be in a position to mention some of the problems is when we have delivered the report.”
The PS could not be reached for comment as his phone rang unanswered.
The PS was last called yesterday at 3pm.

I am hurting - Nokuthula

MBABANE - Resigned Miss Deaf pageant director Nokuthula Mbatha says she is hurting because she loved the pageant.
Mbatha revealed that she had already secured 10 sponsors for this year’s pageant including those for the Miss Deaf Africa which is set for September.

“About four of the sponsors have informed me that they can no longer continue with the pageant because they do not want to associate themselves with controversy. This is sad for me because I had so much love for the pageant,” she said.

passion

Mbatha said she was hoping that the next person who would take over the pageant would be one with passion for the deaf.
“I hope the new director will run it successfully and be concerned with the deaf people,” she said.

... uncertainty over Miss Deaf Africa pageant

MBABANE – The ministry will decide if the country will continue to host the Miss Deaf Queen Africa Beauty Pageant.

The pageant is expected to be held in the country in September this year. September was chosen because it is the month for people living with disability.
Stanley Dlamini, SNCAC Chief Executive Officer, said for now it was difficult to say if the pageant will continue or not following the fact that they have been summoned and told to prepare the report.

“We will be preparing the report and on the report, we will then put our recommendations.
“The ministry will then make a call probably after we have submitted the report. It would not be easy to say if the pageant would be held or not up until everything has been finalised by the ministry,” he said.