It has come to that time of the year where a brand new Miss South Africa is to be appointed as the 62nd edition Miss SA winner – Shudufhadzo Musida concludes her reign. The Miss South Africa team took to social media on Tuesday, 6th of July 2021 to introduce the top 30 candidates that will be participating in the 63rd edition of Miss SA. And we have Mzansi’s first transgender contestant, Lehlogonolo Machaba!
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The selection of the top 30 contenders was identified by a panel that consisted of previous Miss South Africa winners – Liesl Laurie, Tamryn Green, Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala, and Melinda Bam. The top 30 is a diversified collective as it consists of contenders that excel in various occupations, and are based in different provinces.
Lehlogonolo Machaba is amongst the diverse collective but is considered the talk of the country as she is the first transgender woman to participate in the pageant. “Transgender women are almost always ostracised from such opportunities, which is why I never thought I’d see anyone like myself on such a platform. I believe thy being chosen would raise hope in a lot of little girls like myself” – Machaba motivates her reasons for partaking in the pageant.
“I am proud to announce that I have OFFICIALLY made it to the #Top30 of #MissSA2021 thanks to all of you. This journey has been nothing but a great one and all of you have made this worthwhile. I am the first-ever TRANSWOMAN to make it to the top 30 and promise to advocate,” said Lehlogonolo Machaba after the top 30 announcement.
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The North West 24-year-old continues to say – “It has always been a dream of mine to represent my community at such a high level. The daily murder of queer and trans-identifying people in our country is devastating. Through the Miss South Africa platform, I’d be able to advocate for the LGBTQIA community and, more specifically, queer-identifying women. I would use this opportunity to empower every marginalized person and become a beacon of hope for young girls out there regardless of whatever they think hinders them from attaining whatever goal they have. With patience, perseverance, and hard work, they can attain anything they put their minds to,” as read on Celeb Gossip News.
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Lehlogonolo Machaba’s Miss SA entry could not have come at a better time where individuals of the LGBTQI community are fighting for equality and genuine human rights. As South Africa’s first transgender woman to participate in the Miss SA pageant is an achievement and a milestone, not only for Machaba herself, but the LGBTQI community as a whole.
The top 30 Miss SA contestant has proclaimed that dreams are valid, regardless of where individuals come from, who they are or what they represent. And will surely be an interesting contender to watch, as openly participating in the pageant as a transgender woman is already a win in itself.
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