Payal Ramlall Image via Twitter @payal_ramlall
Payal Ramlall speaks out: ‘Being Miss SA is the least of my concerns’
Payal Ramlall says Miss SA organisers can keep their ’empty title’ while she will continue to use her ‘voice’ to speak up about controversial topics.
Payal Ramlall Image via Twitter @payal_ramlall
Miss SA hopeful Payal Ramlall passionately shared her opinion on social media about the unrest in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng today.
She was adamant about choosing to speak up above taking the crown, adding that being Miss SA was not a priority to her as the official Miss SA social media accounts had shown “no support” for what was happening in KwaZulu-Natal.
Ramlall further told the pageant organisers that they can “keep their sash, crown and empty title” while she continues to make change wherever she can.
PAYAL RAMLALL’S RANT
In a series of now deleted tweets, Ramlall’s rant was triggered by activist Pearl Pillay’s passing comment about how some Indian people behaved on social media amid the unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
Ramlall then went on to comment on almost every tweet she could find about Indian people on Twitter.
BRAINS OVER BEAUTY
One tweep asked Ramlall about her participation in Miss SA to which she responded:
“So now I shouldn’t be Miss SA because I’ve stood up to your racist remarks against Indians! Okay ????”
She continued to defend herself on her Instagram page, writing:
“I’ve spoken about the barbaric behaviour of the looters & thieves & I got asked by a few random people who don’t even follow me ‘How can I say this when I entered Miss SA???’
Payal not shy to speak about controversial topics
She emphasised that speaking out about social issues in South Africa is something the Miss SA platform is meant for.
“But they seem to shy away from controversial topics that NEED to be spoken about. To a point where they’ve not even shared any sources of info for help to access essentials”.
“Being Miss SA is the least of my concerns ma’am. I have a voice and I’ll use it without being afraid of being bashed by you because you don’t want to hear the truth of what’s happening,” she said.
‘UGLY SIDE’ TO BEAUTY PAGEANTS?
Mrs SA was recently in the spotlight when a contestant of the pageant, Chandré Goosen-Joubert, called the pageant out. Goosen-Jourbert alleged that she was bullied into raising money for Mrs SA owner Joani Johnson.
Johnson had sent an urgent application to the Western Cape High Court for all criticism about the pageant by Goosen-Joubert to be removed from social media.
Miss SA and Mrs SA are the biggest pageants in the country. Concerns have been raised about pageants in South Africa and their rules, regulations and the protection of their contestants.
ALSO READ: Mrs SA finalist speaks out: ‘I was treated like a slave and a fool’
