CAPE TOWN - Newly crowned Miss SA Lalela Mswane, as well as the Miss SA Organisation, have yet to respond to Nkosi Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela on his call to boycott the Miss Universe pageant in Israel, citing that the “Palestinians’ daily lived experience under occupation is horrific”.
Miss SA Organisation meanwhile told the Cape Times that they wished Mswane well on the international stage.
“The Miss South Africa Organisation is not getting involved in a political war of words and looks forward to watching Miss South Africa make the country proud on an international stage.”
Mswane could not be reached and did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
Inkosi Mandela said his call was not “frivolous nor idle”.
“My call to Miss SA was born out of my concern that we shouldn't legitimise the daily killing, incarceration and harassment of innocent people. Apartheid Israel metes out brutality against young and old, women and men and does so with macabre impunity.”
He added that the pageant had not responded to a letter he wrote to them.
“Miss SA did not respond to my letter...We wrote to the newly crowned Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane to call on her to boycott the apartheid Israel Miss Universe pageant but she has not responded yet. We invited her to meet 23-year-old Palestinian activist Muna El Kurd.”
The pro-Palestine South African Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Coalition (SA BDS Coalition) said they joined the call for Miss SA to boycott and withdraw all support for the Miss Universe pageant.
“Just this week the Israeli state designated six Palestinian human rights NGOs as ’terrorist organisations’ exactly as apartheid South Africa branded our liberation movements.
“One of the six Palestinian NGOs is the Union of Palestinian Women’s Committees.
“How can the same country promote women contestants from all over the world to visit and compete in a glamorous international pageant as it inflicts violent settler colonial rule, arbitrary arrests and raids against indigenous Palestinian women?,” the organisation said.
In response to the calls, Israeli interest group the South African Zionist Federation (SAZF) said Inkosi Mandela should "cease his attempts to undermine the empowerment of women".
SAZF spokesperson, Rolene Marks said: "His call for Miss South Africa to boycott the upcoming 70th Miss Universe (December 2021) contest because it is taking place in Israel should be dismissed as eroding the aspirations of South African women who wish to shine on the international stage.
"Israel regularly hosts international sporting and cultural events, including Eurovision and the Giro d’Italia, all the while more and more countries in the region are signing peace agreements. Israel is a thriving multicultural democracy and accusations that it is similar to the former South African government are beyond ridiculous."
“Following the announcement by Miss Malaysia and Miss Indonesia that they will boycott the event in apartheid Israel, Miss Greece has now also announced that she too is withdrawing from the pageant. We are sure that many others will follow their courageous example,” Inkosi Mandela said.
Cape Times