Deaf beauty queen Mia le Roux wins Miss South Africa
Mia le Roux made history as the first deaf Miss South Africa.
In her acceptance speech during the 66th edition of the pageant last Aug. 10, Le Roux shared her desire to empower individuals who feel excluded from society, particularly those "financially excluded or differently abled," to reach their full potential.
"I am a proud South African deaf woman and I know what it feels like to be excluded. But thanks to the Miss South Africa Organization, I have a foot in the world of the included and I want to build a bridge between those two worlds. As your Miss South Africa, I want to partner with the government, Corporate South Africa, and anyone who is able to help. To help the financially excluded or being differently able to achieve their wildest dreams just like I am tonight," she said.
Mia will receive a cash prize of $53,371 (P3 million), a Mercedes Benz, and a fully furnished luxury apartment.
Born with profound hearing loss, Le Roux uses a cochlear implant to assist with hearing. After two years of speech therapy, she spoke her first words.
Her win comes after the withdrawal of 23-year-old model Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina from the said pageant.
Chidimma withdrew from the competition amid allegations of identity theft. Born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina became a target of xenophobia, with online haters, including the Cabinet ministers, questioning her citizenship.
She withdrew "for the safety and wellbeing of my family and me."
Following this, Miss Universe Nigeria has extended its support, inviting the beauty queen to join the pageant.
"We at Miss Universe Nigeria have been closely following the developments regarding your decision to bow out of the Miss South Africa beauty pageant," national director Guy Murray-Bruce said in a statement.
"We believe that your journey in the world of pageantry is far from over and that there are still numerous opportunities for you to showcase your talent, grace, and beauty," it continued.
"We encourage you to consider this opportunity and take part in a competition that celebrates the strength, intelligence, and diversity of Nigerian women.
Miss Universe Nigeria said that if she is interested, they will be happy to "guide you through the next steps."