Africa4Palestine: Miss SA organisers are ‘abusing, undermining’ Lalela Mswane
Civil rights organisation Africa4Palestine says it hopes the organisers of the Miss South Africa pageant will allow Lalela Mswane to withdraw from Miss Universe.
The global pageant is set to be held in Israel in December.
There has been a growing call from South Africans, civil rights groups and political parties for Mswane to boycott the pageant in protest against Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians.
The South African government has since announced its withdrawal of support for Miss SA to compete in the Miss Universe event.
Africa4Palestine‘s Bram Hanekom believes the organisers are leaving Mswane hanging out to dry.
“They are abusing her by not advising her correctly, the organisers come from PR companies and are very much aware of the impact of public opinion on any brand or person they should stop oppressing her views.
“They should give her the correct advice and support her in standing for what will be in the best interest of the country and the best interest of her reputation.
“So certainly they have been undermining her. They have taken advantage of the power dynamics, it appears that the owner of the company is a supporter of apartheid Israel. This shouldn’t mean that they should manipulate the current Miss SA to be the face that ends up going to Miss Universe.”
Hanekom believes the pageant owners have undermined the country by insisting that Miss SA travel to Israel.
“This year’s Miss Universe pageant serves as nothing less than a sanctions-busting Israel propaganda trip. Our South African government and our people are well aware of the Israeli regime’s well-documented human rights violations and apartheid policies. Endorsement or association with Israel would fly in the face of our history and current position that there should be no normal relations with an abnormal regime.
The organisation is set to march to the Miss SA offices on Friday if it does not allow Mswane to withdraw.
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