LAME BOGATSU
Auditions expected to start end of May
2013 Rosemary Kefitlhile
• A disappointing top 5.
• The five who made it to the top five stage of the coveted competition did not show signs of intelligence and class during the question session, fumbling through the process as their lack of confidence also clearly came to the fore.
• BCW terminates 2013 organizing company Sweet Baint’s contract with the Miss Botswana Pageant.
2014
• No Miss Botswana Pageant.
• Rosemary Kefitlhile crowned as Miss Botswana for the second time.
2015 Seneo Mabengano
• A successful Miss Botswana under BCW.
• Private companies come forth to assist. Local designers are empowered through their collaboration with the pageant.
Miss Botswana Coordinator at Botswana Council of Women Dorcus Thobega has announced that the Miss Botswana pageant will be back again this year. Thobega revealed that the pageant will be held in July on a date yet to be confirmed. She added that just like the past year, they were looking to attract girls with special traits. This will be the second year in a row that the council will be in full control of the pageant, following previous years where outsourced management of the event were marred by controversy and led to a two year absence of the national pageant in past five years.
“The Miss Botswana crown is a very special one and just like the previous year we are hoping to attract girls with a special touch to enter this competition. We are looking for girls who are educated, smart, compassionate, respectful yet daring. We want someone with leadership qualities and certainly one who can go and represent Botswana at the Miss World pageant later in the year,” she said. Thobega further revealed that they had just sent out a call for auditions for those who are interested to enter.
“We plan to travel around the country and audition girls in the different districts as a way to ensure that everyone is given a fair chance. In the past there was a complaint that only those in the city benefit while others travel from far just to come try their luck so this year just like the last we did not want to limit the pageant to only those in Gaborone,” expressed Thobega. She also went on to add, auditions will commence in Maun on the 21st of May, followed by Francistown on the 28th May, Selibe Phikwe on the 4th June, Palapye on the 5th of June, 11th June in Lobatse and finally end in Gaborone on the 17th and 18th June.
“From the auditions we hope to select 30 ladies who will run for the coveted crown of Miss Botswana 2016. These ladies will then undergo several activities to prepare them for the Miss Botswana pageant. Choreography, lessons on etiquette and presentation are some of the skills that will be imparted on them,” she said. Although she could not reveal a list of this year’s sponsors, she mentioned that those from last year were still on board including the coveted Limkokwing sponsorship.
“It is true that Limkokwing has a 5 year contract of sponsorship with Miss Botswana. For the next 4years we will be sponsoring the first, second and queen of Miss Botswana to enroll into our university to do a course of their choice,” confirmed the university spokesperson, Mercy Thebe.