But the beauty whose given name means “He is done (what needs doing to ensure my victory),” the second person pronoun a capital “H” because it refers to the Almighty in the fashion of Setswana personal names, will need the support of her compatriots to wear the crown of the world and bring it home. Staff Writer GOSEGO MOTSUMI reports
After she was crowned the most prepossessing of them all at the erstwhile copper mining town of Selibe-Phikwe in September, Miss Botswana 2019/20, Oweditse Phirinyane, is ready to jet off to London for this year’s Miss World pageant that is pinned for December 14, 2019.
As the grand finale draws near, the Serowe lass says she has been working tirelessly to bring the crown home and is now confident that she will make Batswana proud.
In the short time since she became Botswana’s most eminent beauty with the aid of SPEDU, the Selebi-Phikwe Economic Diversification Unit, Phirinyane has visited the women who weave baskets for her “Diamond in the Rough” and “Beauty with Purpose” projects. She documented the women’s work and showcased it at one of Botswana’s biggest art and fashion platforms, the Masa Fashion Show that turned the Gaborone CBD into a massive catwalk on October 26.
The 25-year old beauty queen has also been trained in different fields by experts. She has undergone intense gym workouts for physical endurance, coached in public speaking by Toastmasters, taken lessons in dance and helped to walk in the fashion of models. But as an experienced model in her own right before shooting to the top as Miss Botswana, and having represented her country on other international beauty platforms, Phirinyane was already equipped with the skills that she will need for the world stage. “My plan is to be myself at the Miss World finale,” she told TimeOut in an interview. “I intend to give it my all, be attentive, learn and have fun. I have been observing and studying competitors closely.”
Phirinyane has been described as a team player, well-rounded, laser focused and poised by the Miss Botswana organising team. During the Miss Botswana grand finale, the judges agreed that here was one well positioned young woman to represent the country on the international stage because of her ability to live out the slogans of “Beauty with a Purpose” and “Beauty with Brains.”
A representative of the Miss Botswana communication team said: “Oweditse is emotionally stable and has prepared for this for a long time. She reads a lot to familiarise herself with what is currently in the news. Most of all, she is a beautiful soul inside and out. She exudes botho (empathy) perfectly and will make us proud.”
As she participates in the 69th edition of the Miss World pageant, Phirinyane will need the full support of her compatriots to fast track her progress in the competition. The annual competition sees competitors from across the globe vying for one of the most coveted crowns in global pageantry. After her strong showing at Miss Botswana, Phirinyane is hoping to bring the Miss World prize to Botswana for the first time.
She concluded: “I appreciate the support that I am getting from my countrymen and countrywomen and note that there are Batswana who have gone all out to support me. Even so, the support is not yet at the level where it should be. And so I urge Batswana to continue on this journey with me and vote online.”