By Malikhanye Mankayi
On Thursday, 30 November 2023, Action SA, through the political party’s secretary Buhle Mdoko, gave Makhanda youth a platform to boost their self-esteem and self-sufficiency in the first Mr and Miss Makhanda beauty pageant at Amazwi South African Museum of Literature in Makhanda.
Present at the event were various members of the community, ActionSA provincial chairperson Athol Trollip, Miss Teenager South Africa pageant finalist, and Makhanda resident Elam Magula.
“This show will continue to happen annually since now we are facing depression, cyberbullying and criticism of body shape, so I created this initiative so that young minds can know they are the brand they don’t need to be defined by other people,” said Mdoko.
Anelisa Mxube, one of the pageant’s organisers, shared the aim of the day: “The purpose of the show is…for the youth of Makhanda to feel their importance as the youth in our town so that they cannot engage with bad activities such as drugs and alcohol.” She added that since many of the youth are heading towards end-of-year exams, there are usually “pens down” activities that take place, where “[we start]seeing young learners in taverns and clubs”. Mxube continued by saying, “So this show is to campaign the message that says no to pens down in Makhanda after what happened at Enyobeni Tavern, so by [creating the pageant], we are trying to say there are so many ways to celebrate instead of putting your lives at risk.”
ActionSA provincial chairperson, Athol Trollip, shared a message of support for the initiative. “It’s not about external beauty. It’s about internal beauty and getting confidence about how you look like yourself, so we want to encourage the youth that trying to be like someone, won’t help you much, love yourself and love others,” said Trollip.
He added, “I think it’s an important space to be in, especially in this month of 16 Days of Activism. I don’t know what happened to our society, but being violent to women and children is something happening in our communities, and it’s not meant to be because it’s very distant from Ubuntu.” Trollip continued, “I want to encourage the men around us today who belong to our society to control themselves, behave themselves, and treat everyone with respect.”
T.E.M. Mrwetyana’s grade 10 learner, Akhanyile Makana, was selected as MR Action SA Makhanda. “I am so happy today because it’s my second time being on stage for modelling, so to me being selected as Mr Makhanda…highlighted that I have much potential to even take modelling at provincial and national competition levels,” he said.
He continued by saying that the journey was not easy, “but I saw that if you have confidence in yourself, anything is possible, and I want to [thank]even the support I received from different [individuals],” said Makana.
Iviwe Nyoka, a grade 12 learner at Nombulelo High School, was selected as Miss Action SA Makhanda. “I am happy that I am one of the models and am going to move forward since I was selected as Miss Makhanda. I will be a good leader who can bring solutions to social ills,” said Nyoka.
Magula gave words of encouragement to the participants. “You are more than your titles, and you have the power to change the world. Your journey should not stop here. I was also here, and this year, I decided to join Miss Teenager South Africa, so I am encouraging every one of you to enter more pageants and not just here locally,” said Magula.
