She wrote on Instagram,
“The most beautiful turn of events is when the obstacles that were meant to tear you down, end up strengthening you in ways you never could've imagined”I decided to choose faith over fear and follow what felt right and good to my soul and I am filled with so much appreciation and gratitude for all the love and comfort I received in support of my pursuing something extremely important to me.
In the run-up to the contest, NGO Citizens For Integrity (CFI) wrote an open letter to sports, arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa, calling on him to apologize for his treatment of the young woman, and reiterated it after her third place finish.
Columnist for Eyewitness News, Kenneth Mokgatlhe, also called for an apology from the government:
Miss South Africa, Lalela Mswane, is an embodiment of resilience and bravery. She was able to secure a second-runner-up place at the Miss Universe competition in Eilat, Israel this week. This, despite an attempt by naysayers who did everything possible to discourage and pressurise Mswane from competing in this extraordinary international meeting.Our government was quick to withdraw its support for Mswane, siding with anti-Israel organisations which label the Jewish state as an “apartheid” state. However, we have come to see the power of social media as Mswane received enormous support from ordinary South Africans, hence she was able to resist the pressure from politicians and other influential personalities in this country.It goes without saying that the government, through the minister of Arts and Culture (Nathi Mthethwa) should offer an unconditional apology to Mswane and to the entire country for behaving like a tyrant and failing to show the world that South Africa is a true democracy.
The haters know how to make noise, but most people are far more sensible.
