Lalela Mswane takes to the stage in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant in Cape Town, South Africa, Saturday Oct. 16, 2021 before winning the title. Controversy is swirling around the Miss South Africa beauty pageant, as the government has withdrawn its support from the event because of its affiliation with the Miss Universe contest which is to be held in Israel in December. The current Miss South Africa, Lalela Mswane, appears to be caught in an uncomfortable spot because of the furor. South Africa has had a good run in the Miss Universe pageant in recent years, with Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi winning the Miss Universe crown in 2019 and Demi-Leigh Peters (now Tebow) winning it in 2017. As international opposition grew to the country's racist apartheid regime in the 1980s, South Africa was banned from competing in both the Miss World and Miss Universe events.

Source: The North Africa Journal November 20, 2021 14:45 UTC