New queen to be Zazi ambassador
"Basically, the new queen will work closely with the HIV desk in the Premier's Office and the department of education."
When the Crowning Miss Mpumalanga 2014 was recently launched, the top-12 finalists admitted they had big shoes to fill after the current queen, Ntandoyenkosi Kunene, raised the bar with the role she played in the fight against HIV/Aids. Her reign will end on April 12 when a new queen will be crowned during a glittering ceremony at the Emnotweni Arena.
It was through Ntandoyenkosi’s outstanding work that the premier’s office with the department of education had joined hands with Mzimari Productions, producers of the Crowning Miss Mpumalanga beauty pageant, in the Zazi Campaign to be officially launched provincially on March 22.
According to the CEO of Mzimari Productions, Gugu Nyarenda, “The whole objective is based on a desire to reduce the number of those infected with HIV by at least 50% among the fairer sex by 2016. We want to lessen the percentage of women who engage in sexual relationships with older partners.
“We want to reduce the number of females who experience gender-based violence, rape and sexual abuse. We will embark on workshopping young women in all the four districts in the province.”The workshops will still be led by Ntandoyenkosi, but will also include the top 12 finalists of this year’s pageant. In short, it’s a preparatory ground for the new queen to acquaint herself with the priority role she will play be playing during her reign,” she explained.
The finalists will be divided into four groups to serve Ehlanzeni, Nkangala, Gert Sibande and Bohlabela district municipalities’ high schools until October 2014. The workshops will culminate in a provincial girls’ camp for three days, comprising 400 to 500 young girls from all 18 local municipalities.
“Basically, the new queen will work closely with the HIV desk in the Premier’s Office and the department of education. Before each workshop, research on the lifestyle and challenges of that particular community will be conducted. The chairperson of the Provincial Aids Council, Mr DD Mabuza and the MEC for education, Ms Reginah Mhaule will attend all workshops and camps,” she added.
During the camps, Nyarenda said, there would motivational talks, dialogues, talks on self-esteem issues, resisting peer pressure, talent search, proactivity, team building, self introspection and life changing exercises. “As the focus is on the girl child and teenage pregnancy, HIV/Aids can be compounded into one campaign per municipality, but starting with the most prevalent areas like Mkhondo, Govan Mbeki, Nkomazi, Mbombela and so on.”What’s significant about these workshops, is that it will target all girl children from the ages of 15 to 24 years.
Youth councils, local Aids councils, executive mayors of each local municipality and district, will be an integral part of our campaigns this year. It will take the form of edutainment that is compatible with today’s youth,” she explained.
The finalists have been divided thus: Ehlanzeni – Amanda Jele, Nomcebo Vilakazi and Cassandra Steingo; Bohlabela – Natasha Do Santos, Lungelo Mbokodo and Valencia Bouwer; Nkangala – Thandi Mthombeni, Kgolofelo Talane and Catherine Mapule and; in Gert Sibande – Zinzi Mashego, Thato Matsie and Sibahle Mndebele.”After the new queen has been crowned in April, the top three girls will embark on district school workshops where close to 400 to 500 girls per workshop in each of the districts will be targeted.
The first workshop will be at Albert Luthuli Municipality on May 31, then Dr JS Moroka Municipality on June 28, Bushbuckridge Municipality on July 2 and the provincial camp will be held at the Badplaas Resort from Ocotber 8 -10.
“The theme: “Zazi Know your strength – a campaign for young girls”, will prevail throughout. This is our contribution in the vigorous fight against HIV/Aids. It is such a pleasure to be bestowed with this mammoth task and we will conquer it,”concluded Nyarenda.
