Khahliso Khama

 MASERU — Contestants for the inaugural Miss Lesotho College of Education (LCE) crown had to scurry for cover after an unruly member of the audience hurled a brick towards the stage on Friday.

The brick hit another member of the audience, only identified as an LCE student, who sustained a head injury.

Even the judges for the pageant looked terrified as they probably feared the brick-throwing incident could spark violence in the packed auditorium.

The DJ also stopped playing music and the adjudicators had to quickly announce the top five contestants before crowning the winner.

The skirmish nevertheless failed to stop ‘Masentle Maliele, 19, from shedding tears of joy when she was crowned the inaugural Miss LCE.

“It has always been my burning desire to be crowned Miss LCE and I was very happy when I learnt we were having the pageant,” ‘Masentle told Xpress People after she was crowned.

“I love modelling and I believe this title will open doors for me to bigger pageants and even international pageants. 

“I have realised my potential and I will not sit on it.”

‘Masentle is a first-year student studying towards a diploma in secondary education.

Litšeko Mabuse and ‘Mafeiki Mokheseng were named  first and second princesses respectively.

The pageant almost ended just like it had started.

It started late and the organisers had to fight off a group of students who wanted to enter the auditorium without paying.

“The pageant is a flop,” Lebohang Letuka, one of the adjudicators, said.

“Everything here is disorganised.

“There is no communication between the judges, MC and the organisers.

“And the students are uncontrollable.”

“I hope the organisers have learnt a lot from this first pageant and next year they will have a better beauty pageant,” she added.

However, the organisers saw it differently.

“The event went well,” Rethabile Makibi, one of the organisers, said.

“We are satisfied with the attendance and the show was a success.”

Makibi however regretted the unruly behaviour that marred the pageant.

“I am generally satisfied with the students’ behaviour,” Makibi said.

“The only people we had a problem with were a group of students from one of the local tertiary institutions who came to the event.

“One of our students was  injured on the head during the pageant.

“Someone from a local institution threw a brick at the crowd and it hit one of our students.

“These people were here to spoil this good initiative and it’s a pity we cannot recognise people’s motives as they enter the hall.”