Quick chat with pageant finalists

With the 2015 Miss Teen Tembisa and Miss Tembisa beauty pageants around the corner, The Tembisan spoke to some of the finalists.

The Tembisan will introduce finalists leading up the the finals in December.

Tembisan: What is your name and age?

Mohau: Mohau Matinketsa (16).

Tembisan: Where in Tembisa do you live?

Mohau: Tlamatlama Section.

Tembisan: What school do you attend?

Mohau: Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. I am in grade 11.

Tembisan: What are your hobbies and outdoor activities?

Mohau: I play saxophone and piano, do ballet, play netball and enjoy reading books, debating and acting.

Tembisan: Why did you enter Miss Teen Tembisa?

Mohau: I decided to join Miss Teen Tembisa because I believe it will give me an opportunity to take more leadership roles in the Tembisa community. It is an opportunity for me to improve my self-belief and confidence because it takes a lot to win a pageant. I also wanted to be a role model to those younger than me and everyone else around me, and show them that one should always be bigger than one’s circumstances for they will never determine where you are going in life.

Tembisan: What is your name and age?

Lerato: Lerato Kunene (21).

Tembisan: Where in Tembisa do you live?

Lerato: 169 Isiziba Section.

Tembisan: Where did you complete your schooling?

Lerato: Dowerglen High School.

Tembisan: What do you currently do – do you have a job or are you studying?

Lerato: I am working and studying part-time.

Tembisan: Why did you enter Miss Tembisa?

Lerato: I entered Miss Tembisa because it has been my dream to be part of a modelling competition based in my hometown. It provides a platform where I can showcase my talents and be exposed to even greater things with the life I lead. I believe I could make a good role model to young girls of Tembisa.

Tembisan: What is your name and age?

Gugu: Gugu Gaba (22).

Tembisan: Where in Tembisa do you live?

Gugu: I am from Elidinga Section.

Tembisan: Where did you complete your schooling?

Gugu: Queens High School.

Tembisan: What do you currently do – do you have a job or are you studying?

Gugu: I am working and studying part-time at Boston. I am studying towards a Technical Financial Accounting Diploma.

Tembisan: Why did you enter Miss Tembisa?

Gugu: I entered Miss Tembisa because I think I will be a great example and ambassador for the youth of Tembisa. I have always wanted to be different from my fellow peers and generation in any way possible, and this pageant has given me the platform to do that. To be an ambassador of such a growing township gives young ladies an opportunity to express and showcase their gifts, while simultaneously influencing or posing as an example for other young people. It has also instilled in us the mentality of giving and has opened up our minds to helping or contributing to bettering our community, without having much resources, but just the willingness to be there.

Tembisan: What does the Miss Tembisa pageant, in your opinion, mean to the wider Tembisa community?

Gugu: The communities outside Tembisa have labeled Tembisa negatively. Tembisa is undermined and often overlooked, especially on the basis of what good it can offer. Through this competition, we can finally diminish that negative reputation around Tembisa and leave our mark as a capable township in South Africa.