Johannesburg: In a major show of solidarity with the Palestinians South Africa Monday withdrew support for Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane at Miss Unvierse pageant due in Israel.
South Africa has a long history 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.
Political parties including the ruling African National Congress and some of the country's biggest trade unions also support the boycott.
Earlier the youth wing of the Palestine Solidarity Alliance, a Johannesburg-based pro-Palestine group, had publicly demanded Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane to withdraw from the event.
She however rejected the demand, forcing South Africa to withdraw support for her at the pageant. Government sources said before arriving at this decision, Mswane was persuaded to reconsider her participation in the event.
"At this stage, the participation of so-called Miss South Africa would be irrelevant," new agency Reuters quoted Bram Hanekom, a board member at Palestinian solidarity group Africa4Palestine, as saying.
"Nobody can say she is representing the country... It would leave her absolutely alone with the organisers who seem hell bent to proceed”, Hanekom added.
In a statement issued earlier Africa4Palestine has said:
“The Miss South Africa brand is getting uglier by the day by ignoring the history of South Africa, by disregarding the suffering of the Palestinians and by dismissing its own supporters who have urged the company to do the right thing and not endorse the Apartheid State of Israel.”
The Miss Universe Competition will hold its 70th edition in Israel on December 12, 2021.
Interestingly, United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has recently formed diplomatic tie-up with Israel, has decided to participate in the pageant. Morocco too returns to the event for the first time in 40 years.
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