Maria McCloy: Miss Soweto 1997
The contestants were the side-show at Miss Soweto: gospel singers Rebecca Malope and Pure Magic, the bass and beats of Ma willies and the freestyle dancing of Mashamplane were the main attractions last Friday at Johannesburg’s Standard Bank Arena.
People wandered in and out to buy food and ice-lolly vendors whistled to attract customers. During breaks, glamorous women handed out Dark and Lovely hair products.
There certainly was no shortage of sponsors. Audience members received a gift pack of a disposable nappy, a sanitary pad and some tissues – essential woman things, I suppose. But aside from all of that it was like a watered-down version of Miss South Africa. In fact, sometimes it looked a bit shoddy.
I had hoped for something that would separate this contest from its more-hyped national counterpart. Instead, it featured the same old standard beauty contest routines to tired American R’n’B tracks and obscure house music. The only local flavour came from the performers.
Ironically the eventual winner – crowd favourite Dineo Tsolo from Dlamini – had said she wanted to work towards showing the positive sides of Soweto instead of people just focusing on the negatives.
Thing is, I think all beauty contests are silly and degrading, but even someone into them would probably not have been impressed with this spectacle. It started an hour and a half late – but was then only less than half-full.
Despite the feeble banterings of the MCs – ex-Mr South Africa Paul Phume and SABC continuity announcer Zandi Zikalala – and the women with the usual fake beauty queen grins and sashays down the catwalk, the crowd seemed more interested in the music: “Hey, Ke batla (I want) Ma Willies,” said one woman behind me.
The need for beauty contests worldwide to justify themselves was also evident at this contest. Hell, no one was going to say they wanted to win for the car, money, make-up hampers, for the glamour and fame, to move up in the world of modellling or get into TV, or even just for fun.
Ah well, at least Soweto now has a whole lot of very made-up, processed hairstyled, platform-wearing, sports-loving, caring social workers who all want to uplift their society. Without fail, the stream of pretty faces (and brains, of course) said that in their spare time they worked in crches, with handicapped kids, held self-esteem workshops and gave Aids awareness lectures.
These “30 most beautiful women in Soweto” were dressed by South African designers – but the established ones, not any creative new up-and-coming designers. Forget about anything Afrocentric. And some dresses were definitely cases for the fashion police.
After all the fashion crimes it was great to see bewigged gatecrasher Brenda Fassie walking by in a tight brown pant suit and platforms. Now that sister definitely created a buzz.
When the lure of lights and a mike proved too much to bear, Brenda leapt on stage with Rebecca and Pure Magic, grabbed Rebecca’s mike and began to sing and make fun of Rebecca’s leaping. When Rebecca invited her “sister” back on stage and hugged her, Brenda mimed brushing Rebecca away.
Apparently beauty contests are empowering. Once the ripples on the contestants’ butts have been judged, the winner can move further ahead in her chosen career, because of the platform she’s been given.
Too bad that Tsolo – a BCom student – didn’t have the chance to choose what her prize from Damelin College would be. She won a PR course.