Premier Mabuza meets with Miss Mpumalanga

16 April 2013

Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza has applauded the newly-crowned Miss Mpumalanga, Ntandokayise Kunene, and swayed her to use her 12-month reign to promote the fight against HIV and AIDS campaign by the provincial government.

Premier Mabuza gave a fatherly talk to a 20-year old Kunene who hails from Piet Retief who won the provincial beauty pageant on Saturday [13 April 2013] to promote abstinence and safe sex at schools amongst the youth especially in the Gert Sibande region which has 46 percent of HIV and AIDS.

The Premier told her that now that she was Miss Mpumalanga, she would be influential as people especially the youth would look up to her as a role model. Mabuza said she would be supported by the provincial departments of health and education.

“We have big HIV/AIDS problems in Piet Retief, surely your title can contribute greatly by assisting us as a government spread the message on the fight against this disease. Although you now have a responsibility to carry the name of the province on your shoulders, you could still be very influential in sending positive messages,” said Mabuza.

The Premier praised her for being “outstanding and emerging from the ashes” as Piet Retief had many socio-economic problems.

“We must thank you for having great parents and that you listened to them, otherwise you would not have reached university or be where you are today. It is encouraging to see a young girl remaining out of all these problems.
“You give us hope that regardless of the difficult situation, people can always achieve their goals provided they have dreams. The fact that you looked after yourself and the journey that you have travelled means that you would be a good role model to our youth out there,” said Mabuza.

He asked her not to distance herself from the people as she was part of the community and that it would be difficult for her to leave a legacy if she was not connected to the people.

“Your life has changed drastically; you cannot be involved in any controversies anymore, people look up to you and you must ensure that you do not disappoint them. You must always be disciplined and remember that whatever you do will always have people talking,” said Mabuza.

Meanwhile, Kunene told the Premier that she was grateful for winning the title, but would stay focused on completing her degree on education in order in order to graduate this year. Her dream was to become a primary school teacher as she believed that she would contribute significantly in other children’s lives.

According to Kunene, she would also contest the Miss SA beauty pageant later this year while moving around promoting the fight against HIV/AIDS as her focus. Kunene has an automatic entry to the top 50 of Miss SA.

She promised the Premier that she would work for the people and use her title to positively inspire the youth to refrain from doing the wrong things.

She said she would remain with the people and for a start she wanted to donate school shoes to one of Piet Retief’s primary schools for needy learners as the winter was approaching.

She further invited the Premier to visit a 20-member Mkhondo Youth Forum which she is part of, which assists destitute Grade 12 students go to the universities by paying for their application forms with the help of local business people.

Kunene will be turning 21 years old on Thursday this week [18 April 2013]. She previously represented Mpumalanga at a Miss Earth Beauty Pageant and won Miss Sundowns Gauteng last year [2012].

She won amongst others a 1.6litre Polo, Galaxy S3, a laptop and a weekend-away in Cape Town.

Issued by Zibonele Mncwango
Spokesperson: Mpumalanga Premier
Tel: (013) 766 – 2453
Mobile: 079 491 0163
E-mail: zmncwango@mpg.gov.za

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