05 Oct 2014

A 20 year-old beauty from Kutamogoree settlement is this year’s Tutume sub-district Remote Area Dwellers Programme (RADP) queen.

Angela Magume was crowed at a pageant held at Pelican Lodge at Nata on October 4.  Magume was among 14 girls from the settlements of Dzoroga, Kutamogoree, Lepashe, Manxotae, Maposa and Sepako as well as Tsokotshaa, all under the Tutume sub-district.

Giving an overview of the pageant, the organiser, the social and community development officer from Tutume,  Mothusi Rebakgosi explained that it was their second pageant involving girls from places classified as settlements and far away from services.

He pointed out that the response had been positive although the number for those registering to take part in the competition was not impressive, noting that they often do not hold elimination rounds, hence they usually take all those who have registered to compete as it is mostly one or two people from each village.

Through the pageant, he noted that they want to give the girls from these places an opportunity to showcase their talent and build up their confidence so that they do not remain in isolation as girls from places identified as rural.

Meanwhile, the host and the main sponsor for the pageant, the Marketing Manager for Pelican Lodge Kagiso Andries said the government came up with the idea of holding beauty contests for all villages and settlements known as RADP as way of empowering them. 

He noted that empowerment is said to be a holistic move in facilitating an environment in which an individual or the entire community is given an equal opportunity to excel and realise their highest potential.

Andries appealed to the contestants that they have been given the opportunity and it was upon them to make use of such a platform and prove themselves that they too have capabilities to compete at any given stage with their peers from other dimensions.

Furthermore, Andries lamented that by availing services and programmes specifically designed for RADP settlements residents, the government aims at ensuring that these residents are accorded an equal opportunity to access the country’s wealth as well as participating in all recreational activities that are enjoyed by all Batswana living in both urban and rural areas.

From the sub-district competition, the queen and her two princesses being the first princess Kagisano Kegapetswe of Manxotae, also aged 20 and 22 year-old second princess Tshepiso Mothakathi of Sepako will proceed to the district level competition to be held in Tonota at a date to be announced. Ends