Pro-Palestine organisations have called on Lalela Mswane and pageant organiser Miss South Africa to boycott the Miss Universe event in Israel.


The South African government has withdrawn its support for Miss South Africa after the organisation refused to pull out of the Miss Universe contest in Israel, amid calls for a boycott to show support for the Palestinian people.

The move on Sunday comes after Pro-Palestine organisations called on Lalela Mswane, crowned Miss South Africa in October, and pageant organiser Miss SA to boycott the event to condemn Israel's treatment of the Palestinian people.

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture said in a statement it had tried to persuade Miss SA to withdraw from the December event and still hopes to convince Mswane.

South Africa has a long history of supporting the Palestinian people and Israel's treatment of Palestinians reminds many in the country of apartheid crimes against its Black population.

Israel denies it maintains an apartheid policy against Palestinians.
'Hell bent to proceed'

Political parties including the ruling African National Congress and some of the country's biggest trade unions also support the boycott.

"At this stage, the participation of so-called Miss South Africa would be irrelevant," said Bram Hanekom, a board member at Palestinian solidarity group Africa4Palestine.

"Nobody can say she is representing the country. It would leave her absolutely alone with the organisers who seem hell bent to proceed."

The Israeli government did not immediately comment.

Miss South Africa did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Mswane also did not respond to messages sent to Instagram accounts belonging to her and a foundation she set up.
Miss South Africa 2021, Lalela Mswane, is set to represent the country at the competition in Eilat, Israel, on December 13.

The Department of Arts and Culture said the atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians are well documented and it could not "in good conscience associate itself with such".

"As the legitimate representative of the people of South Africa, [we] cannot in good conscience associate itself with such," the department's spokesperson Mmasechaba Ndlovu said in a statement.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu said Israel was guilty of apartheid-like treatment of Palestinians.
"Their humiliation is familiar to all black South Africans who were corralled and harassed and insulted and assaulted by the security forces of the apartheid government," he said.

Arts minister Nathi Mthethwa said participating in the event could "prove disastrous to her [Mswane's] future and public standing as a young, Black woman".

In a separate statement, the governing African National Congress party called on organisers "to hear and listen to the overwhelming call for the Miss South Africa team to boycott the upcoming apartheid Israel hosted Miss Universe".

Earlier this week, Miss South Africa said in a statement that the Miss Universe pageant is not a politically inspired event.

Miss South Africa Organisation CEO Stephanie Weil said Mswane will be a role model to young women in South Africa and Africa.

"Anyone who wants to rob Lalela of her moment in the spotlight is unkind and short-sighted. She is the shining beacon for young women everywhere, showing them that being beautiful while being clever and educated is very possible."

South Africa was among several African countries that rejected the decision by the African Union to grant observer status to Israel earlier in July. The status allows Israeli diplomats to be accredited to the African Union and attend crucial meetings even though they will have no vote.

The African Union, which supports a two-state solution in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, argued it needed those two sides on board to work out a proper solution. Palestine has been an observer state at the AU since 2013.