Lerato Matheka
MASERU — Beauty queen Rorisang Molefe is expected to raise Lesotho’s flag high when she takes part in the Miss University Africa (MUA) 2012 beauty pageant in the Gambia on January 25.
Molefe, who is the reigning Miss Teen Berea, said she is confident of returning home with the crown or at least grab one of the two runners-up titles.
“I must admit I am a bit nervous and excited to face the world but I’m ready to take on the world,” she said.
Molefe becomes the eighth and youngest Face of Lesotho beauty queen to represent the country in an international pageant.
She leaves the country next week to join other beauties from across the world.
“I am the proudest person alive for being given the opportunity to fly Lesotho’s flag high at the international pageant,” Molefe said.
The 18-year-old who is awaiting her Cambridge Overseas School Certificate (COSC) results said she is aware that she is competing against university students but this does not bother her.
“I’m not intimidated at all because I know I have the potential,” she said.
She added: “I am young and eager to learn and will use this pageant as a stepping stone. There is room to learn.”
Molefe scooped the Miss Phethahatso English Medium Community School title in 2006.
This was her first pageant.
“I have learned from experience that the most vital aspect in a pageant is beauty with a purpose so I am sure I will blow the judges off with my work.”
Face of Lesotho director, Tlali Tlali, said Molefe was selected to replace ’Nesoang Mpota, the Miss Vodacom PC FM 2010, who is not available because of school commitments.
“’Nesoang is a student at the National University of Lesotho so we realised it would be unjust to require her to spend a month from her studies so we substituted her with Rorisang,” Tlali said.
“Rorisang was screened and was the second best. She is 1.78m tall, intelligent and her experience is an added bonus,” he said.
Participants are expected to arrive in the Gambia between January 10 and 24.
“I bought her a return ticket and will help her to secure more funding from local companies,” Tlali said.
“So far MJ designs and St George have chipped in with some assistance.”
However, Molefe is keeping her fingers crossed that her passport will be out in time for her trip.
“She (Molefe) does not have a passport. We have applied for one but nothing has materialised from the Passport Office despite that we have invitation papers from the organisers of the pageant,” Tlali said.
“I had to send a letter telling the organisers of MUA that Rorisang might be late because of this. It is really a bad reflection on our government.”
Comments are closed.