SANDILE Ndlovu from Meadowlands zone 10 in Soweto was crowned Pre-Teen Queen.
She was among the youth who participated in the Mr and Miss Mzansi International held at the Roodepoort City Hall.
The nine-year-old told Daily Sun on Friday, 1 December, that winning the crown on her debut in the beauty pageant was amazing.
"I always wanted to make my family proud, and this title brought so much happiness and joy into my life. This is my first time on stage competing in beauty pageants, and I am grateful to the judges and the organisers for the opportunity to be part of the Mzansi International family. I will carry this title with pride and grace," she said.
Summerose Nyembe (20) from Dobsonville, Soweto, said she was glad to be crowned a queen in the Mr and Miss Mzansi International.
"This is like a dream come true. This huge title truly humbles me, and I'm so honoured to be the representative of such a brand. My passion for making a positive impact on society makes me a true ambassador of the Mzansi International platform," she said.
Junior Zakwe (18) from Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, said winning the king crown in the Mr and Miss Mzansi International will allow him to play a role in the community.
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"I believe that I have to start working on programmes that can focus on a boy child as we know that society has neglected young men because of many challenges we face as young people, such as substance abuse. I will use my title to encourage more young men to enter pageants like Mr and Miss Mzansi International because such pageants are all about empowerment and providing opportunities for people like us to fight the threats of Teenage Pregnancy, alcohol & drug abuse, GBV, and suicide," said Junior.
The organiser of the event, Pertunia Malingisa, said the pageant celebrates the rich cultural diversity and embraces the unique power that allows individuals to showcase their talents without fear or intimidation.
She said the pageant also highlights critical social issues such as education, poverty, and violence, and strives to impact South Africans' lives positively.
"Our title holders' duties and responsibilities are many and varied. All the winners are expected to work together as a team to pursue their individual goals and support each other while building themselves as brands," said Petunia.
She said the winners received gift vouchers from their sponsors worth more than R10 000 and bursaries to attend computer courses.
