Why is Miss SD focused around Mbabane and Manzini? - MPs

This transpired during the tabling of the first quarter allocation of the ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs.

The motion was raised by Khubuta Member of Parliament Charlie Myeza.

Myeza asked Minister Hlobisile Ndlovu why the pageants committee does not visit all the regions as other girls are available there and perhaps will behave in a good manner unlike what has been happening of late.

His argument was that girls from rural areas are normally well behaved as compared to those from the two cities.

In response, the minister said as a ministry, through the Arts and Culture Council it has developed a pageant framework informed by the probe which provides guidelines on the regional recruitment.

Miss Swaziland committee PRO Rhedoria Isaacs when called for comment justified the MP’s concern saying before the contest they usually distribute forms through the newspapers where contestants are urged to join.

Isaacs said the response in rural areas is mostly negative compared as to girls from urban areas.

"Before we used to run roadshows for the contests but we realised that the campaigns did not work well so we decided to put the forms in the local newspapers so to be transparent. The roadshows also proved expensive to us and a classic example of that is when we received four contestants from Nhlangano, one from Hhohho while we got more from Manzini and Mbabane," she said.

Isaacs added that following their latest advertisement of the same campaign through the newspapers where contestants were asked to join the contest, they haven’t received any positive responses and it worries them.

She said maybe the girls need to be educated about the national events and their importance in Swaziland.

In previous years, the organisers were on the right track as they used to first host regional pageants and the top three would then take part in the national contest.

The last time it happened was during Nozipho Shabangu’s time and she came from the Shiselweni region.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: