Our Miss Universe is a shining light in the gloom

During a dark, miserable week of load shedding, Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi gave the country a break from all the gloom and something to cheer about when she was crowned Miss Universe in Atlanta in the early hours of yesterday morning.

The 26-year-old from the Eastern Cape beat out 89 other competitors to the Miss Universe title as she finished first ahead of the Puerto Rican and Mexican finalists. Tunzi becomes only the third South African to win the Miss Universe crown, following in the footsteps of compatriots Margaret Gardiner (1978) and Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters (2017).

Tunzi, a public relations graduate, not only impressed on the stage but also with her comments during the beauty pageant.

“I grew up in a world where a woman who looks like me, with my kind of skin and my kind of hair, was never considered to be beautiful,” said the newly-crowned Miss Universe. “I think that it is time that that stops today.”

As more and more cases of violence against women are exposed every day, South Africa needs strong female role models that we can look to for inspiration.

Tunzi seems well aware of this and her advice to young girls back home hit the mark.

“I think the most important thing we should be teaching young girls today is leadership. It is something that has been lacking in young girls and women for a long time. Not because we don’t want to, but because of what society has labelled women to be. I think we are the most powerful beings in the world and that we should be given every opportunity,” said Tunzi. “That is what we should be teaching these young girls. To take up space. Nothing is as important as taking up space in society and cementing yourself.”

Zozibini Tunzi, we are so proud of you.

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