Zozibini Tunzi apology

2019 | South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe. Image: @zozitunzi / TW

I can’t really be as perfect as I’m made out to be: Zozibini Tunzi

Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi has owned up to posting things on social media in the past that she is not proud of

Zozibini Tunzi apology

2019 | South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi was crowned Miss Universe. Image: @zozitunzi / TW

Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi put herself through an exercise in humility as she responded to comparisons between herself and disgraced Miss SA entrant Bianca Schoombee.

Zozibini has been held up as a paragon of proper conduct on social media but Miss Universe insists this isn’t the case.

Not perfect, but who is

The 2020 winner of the most prestigious beauty pageant in the world even went so far as to apologise for her own social media history.

Zozibini took to Instagram to lead an important discussion about growth, humility and learning from your mistakes.

“I have actually had a lot on my mind,” Miss Universe said in the video. 

“I think most of it coming from a conversation that has been happening around the country with regards to a particular Miss South Africa entrant whose tweets were recently dug up and brought into light.

“When I read those things I was taken aback.”

Miss Universe
Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi apology. Photo: Miss SA/Twitter

Zozibini said that she was alarmed to have been placed on a pedestal, but the queen from humble beginnings was quick to jump down from that perch to uplift her followers.

“I’m human, there must have been some mistake that I made,” she said. 

“I can’t really be as perfect as I’m made out to be. That scared me to think that that’s the standard that they hold me up to and that’s very understandable because of the position I hold in society.”

I saw a lot of things that I was proud of – Zozibini Tunzi

Her life may have changed forever last year, but that doesn’t mean that she has forgotten her past, but she took to her social media to confirm that while she had penned some questionable posts there was plenty there that she would stand by to this day.

“I saw a lot of things that I was proud of; a lot of things I had said about myself and about others, things that ringed true to who I am. And then I saw other tweets that I’m not so proud of. I saw posts that I had shared on Facebook that were very insensitive; posts that I should have never shared or posted. I was just so disappointed with myself and just filled with shame that I thought it was okay to share that at that time.

“I want to take the time to apologise for those posts that I shared, to apologise to anyone that is/was affected by those posts and just to say that those posts are in direct contrast to who I am and everything that I stand for,” she said.

Watch Zozibini Tunzi’s apology