City’s beauty pageant slammed

eTHEKWINI Municipality's plans to spend more than R1-million on a beauty pageant has caused ripples of outrage and accusations of frivolous spending of ratepayer's money.

Ward councillor Nicole Graham said it was an “absolute disgrace” that the city was prepared to spend more than R1-million on a beauty pageant when it so often claimed there was no money to increase security in well-known crime hot-spots throughout the city where women were often victims.

Graham said the city’s pageant proposal was tabled by the Parks, Recreation and Culture Unit last week, and was promptly rejected by the DA resulting in the matter being referred back to party caucuses.

She said the proposal claimed that in order to promote Durban as a 'lifestyle destination', 'beautiful women' should be celebrated in a Miss eThekwini pageant.

“It goes on to prescribe that women who enter must fit into a certain small dress size and that this type of pageant will focus on 'makeup, hair, gowns and swimsuit modelling'. The city’s parks and open spaces which are managed by the unit proposing this pageant are notoriously dangerous. People – especially women – are regularly attacked, mugged, raped and sometimes murdered in these areas. When councillors and community members request additional security and enforcement officers they are often told there is insufficient funding available for this. Miraculously, this unit now has R1 million available for a beauty pageant while Durban residents continue to risk their safety in public spaces,” said Graham.

She said it was also important for the municipality to promote the advancement and equality of women, where women are seen as equal to men and not told their value is linked to their bodies, physicalities and looks.

“Pageants do not advance women. They advance outdated stereotypes that undermine progress and equality. The DA would like to see this money used to make this city's open spaces safer, especially in areas like Lindelani where a number of young women were recently attacked and murdered. This money should be better used to advance equality, promote our city's wonderful cultural heritage and to create real opportunities for young women. It is ludicrous that the city thinks the only way we can celebrate our women is via beauty pageants,” said Graham.

She said the DA rejected the wasteful expenditure outright as well as the inequality that the idea promoted.

“We sincerely hope that once this matter is discussed at caucuses other political parties will follow the example set by the DA and reject it as well,” she said.

Cheryl Johnson of Save Our Berea has also slammed the proposal calling it, “so stupid, so wrong and so inappropriate. I wonder who came up with the idea in the first place.”

“Our parks are being taken over by vagrants and whoonga addicts. Trees are never trimmed, verges are left uncut and ratepayers are encouraged to do it themselves. When ratepayers request the City Manager extend the Urban Management Zone to Glenwood, Berea and Sydenham, we are told there are no funds. The beachfront has been neglected to the point all the plants are dying because the municipality has failed to renew the contract with the contractor who maintains them. Save Our Berea wonders why Parks hasn’t stepped in here, instead of wasting time and money on a R1 million beauty pageant?” she said.

She said people wanted jobs and housing, which were basic human rights, but still City Hall did not listen.

“In the last month residents of Cato Crest have blockaded Cato Manor Road and a major arterial road, the M4 (Ruth First Highway), has been blocked twice by residents protesting about service delivery and housing. We wonder what the late Ruth First would make of all this, and the idea of a beauty pageant at the ratepayers expense? She would be appalled. We say stop this madness now and start to listen to the people.”.

No response was received from eThekwini Municipality at time of going to print.