I attended a parallel-medium, co-ed high school in Port Elizabeth back in the 70's. To ensure language equality, the school appointed an equal number of English and Afrikaans speaking prefects irrespective of the language demographic in any particular year (it goes without saying that the ratio of males to females was equal). They took the process a step further by appointing an Afrikaans speaking headboy and an English speaking headgirl, with the deputies being the opposite in terms of language. They alternated languages in successive years.
The problem with the system was that, even if you were crowned Miss Teen SA, obtained 10 distinctions, ran the 100m in 11 seconds flat and climbed Mt Everest backwards, if it was the turn for an Afrikaans speaking headgirl and you happened to be English speaking, the best you could hope for was being appointed deputy headgirl, etc, etc, etc.
Now let's for a minute consider that they were to choose a headboy/girl from the same language group year after year, or the number of learners from one language group was in the majority for a number of years in succession and they awarded the top position to members from that language group because of that fact. So it wasn't really a problem after all, and all things being equal, it was fair.
With all the bitching and moaning about the race of Miss SA by media, fans and members of the public alike, why not employ the same system? If it is the turn for a black winner, recruit quality black entrants for the win and fill the spots designated for contestants of other races with girls that in any event wouldn't stand a hope in hell of winning in any year.
Perhaps we'll start attracting all those South African girls who are making their mark on the international photographic modelling scene, and have a realistic chance of winning a major international title, back to the pageant. I have it on good authority that some of our top international photographic models are steering clear of the pageant for fear of coming second to an undeserving winner.
The other alternative is to employ the system of awarding three titles of equal status to a "rainbow" court. In other words, have a black Miss Universe SA, a white Miss World SA and a Miss International SA from the remaining racial groupings, and rotate the titles between the groups in successive years. Most countries crown international pageant specific winners, so why don't we?
Whilst they don't award the titles along racial lines, two of the most successful nations at international pageants, India and the Philippines, have employed this system with great success for many decades. This system will also ensure that we have fresh faces at every international pageant year after year. By no stretch of the imagination am I proposing we revert to that silly and downright stupid system of having a white Miss South Africa and a black Miss Africa South. There should only be one representative from SA at every international pageant period.
Let's be honest, the concept of a national beauty that is adored by all is antiquated. Very few members of the public know that Tatum Keshwar is Miss SA, but everyone would know who she is if she is crowned Miss Universe. Oh God! I can hear some of you mumbling under your breath already.
In any event, it's official (although not public): Sun International is pulling out all the stops to crown a black winner this year. Deserved or not, Miss SA will be of African heritage unless something really out of the ordinary happens. As I said in a previous post, I don't see a lily-white Boere meisie running around at next years' World Cup festivities pretending to represent the continent. Unless your name is Johnniette Clegg or Lukesia Watson that is.
