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Nokuthula speaks out

29/05/2013 03:28:00 BY NHLANHLA MATHUNJWA

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MBABANE – Hardly two weeks after resigning from being the head of the Miss Deaf Beauty Pageant, Nokuthula Mbatha has revealed why she resigned from the pageant.

Mbatha, who has been behind the pageant since 2010, said she resigned after being told that she had no licence to run the pageant.
She confirmed that she was never given a proper licence but only communicated with the relevant stakeholders verbally and through letters. The only thing she was given when she started was a letter of appointment.

She said she was surprised when she was told that she had to have a licence for hosting both the Miss Deaf Beauty Contest and the Miss Deaf Queen Africa. She said what confused her was that for the past three years, she had been hosting the pageant successfully and no one asked her about a licence.

Successful

“When I started the pageant in 2010, most people never thought it would be successful. Through the vision I had, I was able to take the pageant from high school level to national level. All along, I have not been receiving support from the Swaziland National Council of Arts and Culture (SNCAC),” he said.

Mbatha said from time to time, she would inform Stanley Dlamini, SNCAC Chief Executive Officer, about the pageant.
“I informed them that this year’s pageant would be held together with the Miss Deaf Queen Africa. All was well up until a few weeks ago when I was told that I had no licence to host the pageant. To me it was as if SNCAC wanted to have full control over the pageant and that is why I then decided to call it a day,” said Mbatha.

She said she had done a lot to have the pageant recognised by a number of sponsors in the country and, therefore, she never understood the reason why she was suddenly asked about a licence.

“There is nothing else that made me to resign except the fact that I thought they wanted me out of the pageant. There were no reasons why I would have stayed in such a situation. Resigning and handing over everything back to SNCAC was the best thing I could have done. This frustrated me and I could not take it anymore,” she said.

Wasted

Mbatha said she never regrets the precious time and money she wasted while still in charge of the pageant.
She said she had already informed all the stakeholders she had been working with and they seem to understand her reasons for quitting.
“I tried to nurse the situation but it all never worked. I know this decision has affected a lot of people especially those who were interested in sponsoring and taking part in the project,” she said.

Others accuse her of dating CEO

MBABANE – Nokuthula Mbatha said she has been accused of having a relationship with Stanley Dlamini, SNCAC Chief Executive Officer.

Mbatha says she has been receiving calls from people, some of them who are close to her, accusing her of being in love with Dlamini.

She said the rumours were so serious such that most people thought that she resigned from the Miss Deaf Beauty Pageant because her relationship with the CEO had turned sour.

“No no no, I am prepared to die for that, I do not know even his hug. These rumours make me angry,” she said.
Mbatha said she never understood why people associated her with the CEO because she had never been in love with him.
“When I first got to know about these accusations, I felt very sad because I did not understand where they come from. There was no one to ask and I knew no one would have the proper answer. This has got me worried because I am being accused of something that is not true,” she said.
Mbatha said while still in charge of the pageant she worked with a number of people and, therefore, she did not understand why people concentrated specifically on Dlamini.

“I am one person who talks to everyone I come across. I believe in making new friends and also believe in being professional. I have tried to stick to my principles and, therefore, I do not understand why I am being accused of something I do not know,” she said.
Mbatha said she had tried to explain to some of the people who have asked her about the rumours that it was not true that she was in love with Dlamini.