Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane has a very good chance of winning the coveted Miss Universe crown in Israel which takes place late on Sunday.
Having defied detractors – including the South African government – by refusing to boycott the pageant, the 24-year-old law graduate has displayed enough resolve to impress the judges.
Lalela also had to get around an unexpected travel ban owing to the new Covid-19 variant “Omicron” that was detected by scientists in South Africa.
The ruling party of Nelson Mandela, the African National Congress, and pro-Palestine groups had cited Israel’s “apartheid” treatment of Palestinians as a reason to boycott the Miss Universe Pageant.
As for Lalela, she has already declared that she is in the pageant “to win”.
You can watch the Miss Universe pageant on DSTV Channel 115 at 2:00 am (SAST).
