Ngwenya, who was crowned last October, will go down in the history as the first queen to have served for a shorter period due to Covid-19.
Usually, the annual Crowning Miss Mpumalanga takes place in April and the reigning queen serves for 12 months, but due to the pandemic and lockdown regulations, last year’s event was postponed to October when Ngwenya was crowned the 10th Mpumalanga queen.
Although this beauty queen has served less than a year, she believes she has made her mark.
“For me, the crown meant something bigger. It came with big responsibilities. An equally bold person was needed to make a change,” she said.
READ: Stage set for Crowning Miss Mpumalanga 2021
“I only reigned for a short time, but I believe I played my part. I am the kind of person who believes that one doesn’t need to serve a lifetime to make a change. I used my time to make my mark,” Ngwenya continued.
She started her reign at the worst possible time – the country and world were still under heavy attack from the virus.
“I will not lie and say I had an easy reign just because I only served for seven months, no. I had the most difficult task of them all and that was to be an ambassador of behavioural change as we faced the pandemic, and still are.
“I came in just like a soldier who joins the army and already there’s a war that must be fought. I would like to believe that I fought that battle, and it is now time to give others a chance to take up arms and join the war,” she said.
The Crowning Miss Mpumalanga custodians, Mzimari Productions, said this current queen was special because she came in at a very
difficult time.
READ: Crowning Miss Mpumalanga puts Covid-19 safety first
“To be the queen of the province during this difficult time meant more responsibilities, many uncertainties. However, she soldiered on and played her part.
We are proud of her,” said Gugu Nyarenda, CEO of Mzimari Productions. She said plans for this year’s masterpiece were at an advanced
stage and they are ready for the big day.
As for Ngwenya, her journey continues on a different stage – tertiary education.
