Nathi’s Miss SA call just a gesture

You can’t accuse the department of arts, sports and culture of being quick off the mark.

No surprise, then, that it only apparently woke up late to the building storm of outrage on social media that Miss South Africa was heading to Israel in December to represent the country at the Miss Universe pageant.

Minister Nathi Mthethwa justified the decision to withdraw official backing from the Miss SA contest on the grounds that 24-year-old Lalela Mswane, as this country’s winner, would somehow be lending support to the Israeli government.

SA has been a leading critic of Israel and staunch supporter of Palestine, going so far as to downgrade its embassy in Jerusalem to a consular office. But Israel still maintains a fully accredited embassy in Pretoria – and the trade between the two countries is still strong.

In effect, then, Mthethwa’s withdrawal of SA backing is little more than a gesture – particularly when seen with the assurance from our foreign affairs department that the row will have no impact on relations between the two countries, which remain cordial.

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The SA Jewish Board of Deputies, in attacking the minister for the decision on Miss SA, made the valid point that Mthethwa hasn’t covered himself in glory.

He had been silent, the board said, on issues of artists struggling during the Covid lockdowns and done nothing to stop the closing of the Apartheid Museum or Lilliesleaf Farm, emblems of the anti-apartheid struggle.

Conversely, though, the truth is that cultural boycotts helped force change in South Africa and perhaps a similar campaign could help further the cause of the Palestinian people.

It is unfortunate that Mswane gets caught up in the middle – watching the dream of many a young girl becoming a nightmare.