CYBER WARFARE
Botswana, Phillipines trade verbal missiles over Miss World Batswana warned against annoying Miss World owner Behaviour could have negative effects on licence holders
It is now common knowledge that on Saturday afternoon, a new Miss World queen was crowned. But what transpired after the crowning of the 71st Miss World queen, Krystyna Pyszková of the Czech Republic, has left the world and the nation divided.
Batswana particularly have not taken kindly to the news that their queen, Miss World-Botswana, now Miss World Africa, Lesego Chombo, did not bring the coveted blue and white crown home.
Prior to the Saturday afternoon grand finale, many of her supporters, both in Botswana and outside the country deemed her a worthy queen. Yet the judges thought differently.
Following that Saturday announcement, social media has been awash with endless posts. Most and a good majority of these comments and posts are authored by Batswana who now appear like sore losers that have waged war on everyone and everything associated with the Miss World organisation and the new queen.
On every page on social media, including Facebook and Tik Tok, where there is mention of Miss World, Batswana are literally camping there, insulting anyone and even a fly that wheezes past them.
What is even heart-breaking is how most of the comments are vulgar, and body parts are being labelled regardless of whether the person being targeted understands Setswana or not. Miss World 2013, Megan Young of the Philippines has also not been spared a barrage of abuse and insults. Her mistake was supposedly trying to fix Chombo’s hair as she stood in front of the judges. This, in their eyes, unsettled Chombo.
Young eventually released a statement apologising for the oversight and what her actions might have caused. But that statement was like ethanol in an already raging volcano. In the statement, She explained that on the day in question, she only meant well and though she was helping.
“I wanted to offer a helping hand but I failed to oversee the bigger picture. This could have caused distress during that moment and I have been made aware that culturally, this is unacceptable. We have spoken privately last night at the hotel, and I have apologised to Lesego in private,” she said.
She further apologised to those who witnessed the incident, for the discomfort or confusion her actions might have caused. “It was a thoughtless and disrespectful act, and I take full responsibility for it. I assure you that it was not my intention to invade personal space or make anyone feel uncomfortable,” Young said. In one of the posts, Chombo tried to call for peace and calm from Batswana and her supporters. “Batho bame, I appreciate that you are all looking out for me, but it doesn’t make me feel good when you bring other people down in my name for my sake. Please be kinder,” she appealed.
By Monday, the war had now reached boiling point with Filipinos and Batswana going headto-head. Both sides are fighting for their own. The boiling point was when one Filipino made a comment that might come back to bite Batswana, and haunt them for a few years.
Ënzo Rex, in one of the comments warned Batswana to prepare to cry for the next 10 years. “Batswana will be unplaced for 10 years with your actions. You are humiliating mother Julia’s favorite Miss World,” the comment says. Julia Morley is the owner of the Miss World pageant. Another author, Bradlee Manibog Vergara, had a lot to say about Chombo. “Hey Botswana people, Lesogo (sic) isn’t even worthy of the crown. The winner is far more beautiful than her. So, stop blaming Megan because she really lost in the perspective of the judges. Don’t bring your cultural biases because it is a competition after all, and the Miss World Organisation has selected a lady who is truly suitable to represent them, and that is Miss World Czech Republic not your girl from Botswana. Grow up, people,” the author said. This development is not something new. In the past years, and even this year, some have cultivated a habit of ridiculing Miss World contestants from other countries. A while ago, the Miss Botswana license holders issued a press statement, urging Batswana to desist from this behaviour.
However, while some might be riding on the excitement of social media, one local pageant observer has cautioned Batswana against this behaviour as it is costing other license holders to international pageants. According to Kaone Moremong, this behaviour is costing the queen and other pageant organisations, and might have a ripple effect in the coming years.
“You are destroying chances for other upcoming queens across all international pageantry platforms and for years to come. The pageantry world is an entire industry on its own just like sports, music and other industries. It does not forget. And it is all connected and it has its own norms and rules,” she said in her post. She said that the stakeholders are the same, as well as the top international pageant reviewers and influencers which explains why the same faces are used at all international pageants.