Still waiting for pageant prizes
Berlin November winners say fashion house organiser full of excuses
A bottle of wine, a sash and a crown is all three women have to show for winning the top three spots in the Berlin November beauty pageant.
The three - Zizile Mthengu, 23, Olwethu Mbane, 21, and Latoya Bekwa, 24 - are still waiting for their prizes three months after the annual pageant was held.
According to them, when they entered the competition, the queen was supposed to walk away with R30,000 worth of prizes, the first princess was to receive R3,000 worth of prizes, while the second princess was to get R1,500.
The prizes were supposed to include cash, makeup, clothing vouchers and mentorship programmes.
But the three women, who fought off stiff competition from 12 other hopefuls, are yet to receive their prizes. To date, they only got Bayede wines, a sash each and crowns.
The three claim the owner of Versatile Dimplestyles fashion house and event organiser Noloyiso Ngalo, better known as “Unolali”, had given them the “runaround”.
Winner Mthengu, a Walter Sisulu University education student at the Mthatha campus, said she had travelled from Mbizana to attend the event.
“We auditioned in Mthatha and we were excited because the Berlin November is a big event. I thought it would have been a stepping stone to bigger pageants.
“I was even promised to get a mentor who would help me make it to Miss SA.”
She said she was owed R30,000 worth of prizes, which included a R10,000 dress, R2,500 for makeup, and R5,000 cash.
“What is worse is that I did not make any arrangements for registration at varsity because I was counting on using the money and now it seems I might not study this year,” she said.
First princess, 21-year-old Mbane from PE, said: “We have been patient with her [Ngalo’s] excuses but it seems she does not even come to inform us of any developments regarding our payment.”
The Nelson Mandela Bay student said she and her parents had been excited about the opportunity.
“My parents could have thought I was lying and used the money [they had given me] just to go enjoy myself in East London, but luckily I had pictures and videos to show them.”
Bekwa, a member of the South African National Defence Force in PE, echoed the same sentiments.
“I was just given a bottle of wine. I did not know what I was supposed to do with alcohol so I gave it to my dad. I did not enter the competition to win alcohol.”
Questions sent to Ngalo were not answered at the time of writing on Friday.
She declined to have a telephonic interview with the Dispatch and asked to meet the reporter at 11am, however, her phone rang unanswered at the scheduled time.
Berlin November founder Luthando Bara said a meeting had been called to try and resolve the matter.
“What we always try to explain is that we create a platform where entrepreneurs can use their talents to benefit from the event.
“It does not mean we are involved in each and every aspect of the event. I am personally talking to the people involved because the name is linked to our brand.”