25 Sep 2024

Young people from remote areas are endowed with untapped talent, thus it is critical to support them to unleash their potential for optimum participation in the economy, says Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), Tsabong branch manager, Mooketsi Manyothwane.   

Speaking during the Tsabong District Mr and Miss RADP 2024 recently, Manyothwane said it was important to recognise that the Rural Area Dwellers (RADs) communities although sometimes geographically isolated from active markets and economic opportunities, they were endowed with untapped talent and beauty just awaiting to be discovered.  

Thus, he said, it was incumbent upon each one to extend a helping hand to create a conducive platform that allowed such vibrant attributes to shine.  Manyothwane said the essence of beauty pageants transcends beyond mere aesthetics as the government programme was targeted at empowering the youth from settlement areas. He said contestants were provided with a two-week training during the preparatory boot camp, which included other aspects beyond modelling and fashion such as etiquette, knowledge, confidence, boldness, spontaneity and overall personal development.  

The CEDA branch manager reminded the beauty queen and king that they shoulder responsibility as they served as role models in their communities and also actively contributed towards community development.  

He thus encouraged them to leverage locally available resources, seek support and guidance from skilled individuals adding that the value of indigenous knowledge and skills was a cornerstone of community driven development. 

He highlighted that part of the pageant prizes included small business startup capital adding that CEDA awaited to be in a co-financing partnership with winners to improve their businesses in the area in order to address government priority of employment creation. 

For his part, Tsabong District Council deputy council chairperson, Ronald Baitsewe, said the pageant was organised for the two RADP settlements of Kokotsha and Khawa, who were the only ones classified as RADP in the district.  He said the Miss RADP, which commenced in 2013, was an initiative of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to promote gender empowerment through the Affirmative Action Framework for Remote Area Dwellers. 

The programme’s goals, he said, were far reaching as the programme aimed to facilitate talent development amongst the youth, promote inclusivity of young men and women into the society and building their self-esteem through participation in national events.  Baitsewe said the pageant winners would then proceed to compete at Mr and Miss RADP nationals to be held in Gaborone in November. 

Afro culture performing artiste, Chokoma’s electrifying opening performance of Ga ke a nyala, revved up the well-orchestrated beauty pageant setting up the right ambience much to the delight of the audience who buoyantly cheered. 

Soon afterwards, the 20 beauty contestants then followed on stage in a spectacular theatrical procession, which creatively demonstrated their culture each delivering special renditions of their rich cultural heritage in Namastaap dance, Polka dance, Tsutsube, poetry, Setswana traditional dance and Afrikaans folk music. Under the female category, Gololesegang Masisi of Kokotsha caught the eyes of the judges and was crowned Tsabong District Miss RADP, followed by Keabetswe Dekoker of Kokotsha as first princess while Tshegofatso Hambira also from Kokotsha emerged as the second princess. Under the male category, Ronaldo Titus of Kokotsha proved to be a cut above the rest clinching the Tsabong District Mr RADP title, followed by Lone Mompe also of Kokotsha as the first prince while Ishmael Thau of Khawa became the second prince. 

The prize money for the top position under each category was P2 000, P1 500, P1 000 respectively, and each participant who did not make it to top three, got a consolation price of P500. ENDS