When crowned in early December Miss Limpopo 2016, Ntsetselelo Mkansi and Miss Limpopo Teen 2016, Elrize Erasmus both said they couldn’t wait to see what their year of reign had in store for them and that they were determined to make the best of every minute while making a difference in the province.
Mkansi, who will be turning 24 in October, is planning to continue with what Miss Limpopo is best known for by carrying on the legacy of giving. “I’ve got big shoes to fill with the likes of Katryn Barwise, Kholofelo Lekganyane and Mosiah Tau going before me. The best I can do in the following year is to keep the Miss Limpopo standards high or even take them higher. Since Education is my platform, I hope to make a change in that area,” Mkansi said.
Mkansi, originally from NkowaNkowa, matriculated from Ben Vorster High School. She believes that this year had the most amazing group of entrants. “I have to commend the previous queens on planning the road show last year. Through that a lot of amazing, intelligent and well-groomed women came through. It helped me stay focused and pushed me to the limit with every task that was given to us.” Mkansi explained that during the competition she organised a signed Springbok rugby jersey that will be auctioned towards raising funds for a local school in Tzaneen; collected 120 pairs of shoes, organised a pageant for the Letaba School for the Disabled and also obtained and sponsored a R15 000 bursary towards an individual’s education with Boston City Campus. Mkansi said that she decided to sponsor a bursary because education is close to her heart. She said that if she can get as many people as possible in school by the end of this year then she would be pleased with herself. With her title Mkansi hopes to reach out to different sponsors and hopes to achieve her long term dream of building a school hall for Shipungu High School, which will also be utilised by the village of Shipungu as a community hall.
18-year-old Miss Limpopo Teen, Elrize Erasmus is a learner at Hoërskool Pietersburg (PHS) who plans to change and touch lives all over the province by helping people living under the poverty line to create a sustainable difference.
“The Miss Limpopo competition was amazing. I loved everything about it and got the chance to meet a lot of people and make new friends. I learned a lot and, although it was very hard work, the time and effort was worth it.”
Throughout the Miss Lim/Teen competition Elrize visited a Drop-In Centre in Mankweng that cares for 64 children and hosted a Christmas party for them. During the party she also handed out cupcakes, treats and toys. Elrize did not stop there but also donated sanitary packs. She explained that she visited the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals where she donated blankets, handed out 54 Christmas boxes to needy children, visited the Ramogale Ratabana Drop-In Centre in Mankweng and donated clothes to 120 children as well as bread and toiletries.
Elrize is planning to be a role model and to encourage, inspire and empower people to have dreams and to make it a reality.
She explained that she is focusing on children to have better lives and education. Elrize said that she wants to give them hope for the future because she believes that if you have hope you have everything.
Mkansi and Elrize are planning to take the province to a new level and believe that they are going to make a huge difference in the province to help those that is less fortunate.
Both expressed their joy at being crowned beauties and explained that they felt blessed to have this opportunity to make a difference in the province.
LEANDRI VAN SCHALKWYK
>>leandri.observer@gmail.com
