Pretoria – Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane – the second runner-up in the Miss Universe pageant held in Israel – landed in Johannesburg Wednesday morning where she declared: “I will not be bullied”.
Lalela’s detractors had wanted her to boycott participating in the Miss Universe pageant, citing the Israeli oppression of the people of Palestine as the reason to do so.
The South African government even withdrew its support for Lalela amid pro-Palestinian protests.
“The atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians are well documented, and the government, as the legitimate representative of the people of South Africa, cannot in good conscience associate itself with such,” the government said in a statement at the time.
But the 24-year-old law graduate from the University of Pretoria insisted on going to Israel, where she was named the Miss Universe second runner up at the weekend.
On her return on Wednesday, Lalela said she would have regretted it for the rest of her life if she missed out on the trip to Israel.
“If I had not come to Israel to compete in the Miss Universe pageant, I think I would have regretted it for the rest of my life,” Mswane told The Jerusalem Post after she defied the South African government that pressured her to boycott the contest, because it was being held in Israel.
Commenting on her decision to defy the government, Lalela said: “Anybody that knows me knows I would have done it … purely because I am a firm believer in not succumbing to pressure.
“I am not in the wrong … I have a responsibility to my people yes … but I will not be bullied into making any sort of decision, and also I was of the view that I am being attacked because I failed to pick a side … as a sign of loyalty that’s very immature and unnecessary and it would not get us anywhere.”
Miss SA, @Lalela_lali responds to the question about going to Israel and whether she regrets it.
— South African Zionist Federation (@SAzionfed) December 15, 2021
Her ANSWER is 🔥
Thank You 🙏🕊️🇮🇱👑 pic.twitter.com/AkwCBZRAZP
Meanwhile, the Citizens for Integrity organisation called on Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, to apologise to Mswane.
Directors Mark Hyman and Willie Hofmeyr said Mswane’s reputation and standing were far more advanced now than they could have been had the bullying and attempts to force her to withdraw from the pageant been successful.
“Mr Minister, you would have left her with nothing, except a lack of dignity. Your threats that it could prove disastrous to her future and public standing seem a little hollow. Will you greet her on her triumphant return to South Africa? The world is her oyster, and millions of South Africans celebrate with her,” they said.
IOL