"I stand for unity. I do not stand for people being divided. So, I do think we can do better in that aspect to support and include one another. Because she was excluded, and that is not okay."
The newly crowned Miss South Africa, Mia Le Roux, has stood in solidarity with her embattled former co-pageant contestant, Chidimma Adetshina.
Ms Adetshina withdrew from the pageant amid controversies surrounding her South African citizenship claims, Nigerian heritage, and trolling.
The controversies have sparked a debate about diversity and inclusion in the pageant world.
Before withdrawing from the pageant, Ms Adetshina, born in South Africa to a Nigerian father, a Mozambique mother, and now a naturalised South African, advanced to the Top 30 and became a finalist in the Miss SA competition.
Ms Le Roux, who was crowned on Saturday night at the Sun Bet Arena in Pretoria, revealed her stance on the controversies surrounding Ms Adetshina's withdrawal and her (LeRoux) emergence as the winner in an interview with South Africa's news TV channel, Newzroom Afrika.
The 28-year-old, who made history by being the first deaf winner in Miss South Africa's 66-year history, said, " It was extremely hard for us because each of us personally knows and loves Chichi. We truly believe that she did not deserve the hate, as we know she is phenomenal, powerful, and beautiful in her own right. She deserved her spot on Miss South Africa".
Ms Le Roux, echoing her earlier sentiments, emphasised the need for unity and support, urging South Africans to do better in showing support rather than creating divisions.
'I stand for unity. I do not stand for people being divided. So, I do think we can do better in that aspect to support and include one another. Because she was excluded, and that is not okay," she added
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Inclusion, solidarity
After being crowned the new Miss SA 2024, Ms Adetshina sent her well wishes to Mia Le Roux via a post on her Instagram Story: "You represent us all. To make the excluded be included.All the best on your reign, queen."
The beauty queen, who also revealed that she has been receiving a lot of speech therapy to aid her hearing impairment, urged her compatriots to "do better" in showing support rather than creating divisions.
Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Adetshina has accepted an invitation to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.
The Miss Universe Nigeria pageant made a historic decision by officially inviting Ms Adetshina to participate in the upcoming Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 competition.
On Wednesday, Silverbird CEO Ben Murray announced in a video posted on X that Ms Adetshina accepted the invitation to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.
Ms Adetshina responded in a viral video shared by the Silverbird CEO, who expressed delight at partaking in the contest and thanked Nigerians for the show of love and support since the Miss SA controversies began.
