18 Oct 2022

Laone Meswele and Nonofo Mogetse both from Kweneng village will represent Kweneng District at the National competitions after being crowned the 2022 Mr and Miss RADP in Molepolole on Saturday.

Meswele pocketed P3 000 while first and second princesses Tshepo Moloreng from Kaudwane and Baboloki Gabaipele also from Kweneng pocketed P2 500 and P1 500 respectively.  

Meanwhile, Mr RADP fashion show title winner Mogetse flanked by first prince Karabo Gooxhebe from Diphuduhudu and One Ratsie from Kweneng village pocketed prize money equivalent to the ladies,  while other participants earned P1 000 each as consolation prizes.

Earlier, when officiating at the event, Kweneng District Council chairperson, Motlhophi Leo said RADP was first established in 1978 and was later reviewed in 1985 to cover the seven districts of North West, Kweneng, Central, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Southern and Kgatleng.

He said the initiative was aimed at promoting economic activities and provision of public services as a means of improving livelihoods of people living in these areas. 

Leo said the revised RADP programme of 2009 guided the establishment of the Affirmative Action Framework of 2014, which was implemented in 67 RADP settlements countrywide.

 In the Kweneng District, he said the framework was implemented at Loologane, Kweneng, Sorilatholo, Diphuduhudu, Kaudwane, Khekhenye and Tshwaane.

“It is against this background that the government initiated the Miss RADP beauty pageant, which was established in 2013 targeting young women in remote areas.”

He added that this was meant to harness their economic potential across different sectors, hence both the pageant and fashion show served to expose their talents and harness their resourcefulness as a way of empowering them socially and economically.

Furthermore, he said the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development’s transformational agenda emphasised that these concepts be accelerated to build resilient communities and sustainable livelihoods through cultural diversification.

Therefore, he said the district did not only celebrate the pageant, but continued to establish their current socio-economic status as well as identify their area of interest for possible harnessing and beneficiation.

About 14 young men and women participated in the competitions. BOPA