Skip to main content

Allegations of corruption in Miss World 2009?


     Almost three years after Johannesburg hosted the Miss World pageant the municipality wants to silence its critics. It’s called on Thuli Madonsela to investigate claims of mismanagement, a political move not hiding the fact the city should have never hosted the event in the first place.

Saturday 12 December 2009 was a historic day for Gibraltar. “In unison Gibraltarians triumphantly cheered, with wild screams, and spontaneous applause they jumped out of their seats, filled with tears of joy—an entire population realising a dream, proud that their representative at Miss World had achieved what everyone had always felt was simply out of reach,” reported the Gibraltar Chronicle.

Kaiane Aldorino won the country’s first Miss World crown at the Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand. “A Gibraltarian once again puts Gibraltar on the map!” declared the Rock’s chief minister.

Kaiane Aldorino

     For the hosts, the Miss World contest has been remembered for a different reason. On 11 December 2009, Mail & Guardian exposed allegations of financial mismanagement in the City of Johannesburg. Rumours of corruption have surrounded the contract to host the beauty pageant in the years since.

     The municipality tried to silence its critics on Monday by inviting the Public Protector to investigate its role in securing and financing the event. It has asked Thuli Madonsela to look into the bidding and procurement of rights for the pageant, the budgeting process and whether the city officials had the authority to sign the agreement.

     The contract caused a stir when the Johannesburg Tourism Company (JTC), a section 21 company, agreed in 2008 with World Awards Limited to host the 59th Miss World pageant, just as the Council was being downgraded by Moody’s for liquidity pressures.

     The city said the pageant would cost R45-million, while the contract seen by Mail & Guardian indicated costs would reach R90-million. JTC agreed to pay a £6-million hosting fee and cover venue, accommodation, transport and make-up costs as well as a return trip for beauty queens from countries competing in the 2010 Fifa World Cup.

     Allegations the deal amounted to wasteful expenditure and involved corruption resurfaced in July when Council passed a resolution to develop a framework to deal with contract confidentiality clauses. The Municipal Public Accounts Committee has seen the Miss World contract but a confidentiality clause has prevented its further release.

     Rubi Mathang, MMC for Economic Development, said multiple investigations have been conducted, but Mayor Parks Tau insisted they request the Public Protector to probe the deal.

     “We thought the matter would be dead, buried and completed but it continues to enjoy attention in the media,” Mathang in a 6 August press conference.

     Mathang said the city will co-operate fully with Madonsela and “in the interest of transparency” provide all relevant documents. “We are confident the protector will deal will this matter sufficiently and ensure a thorough investigation of all allegations. Nobody will be left out of the investigations and any wrongdoing will be punished.” The public protector’s office confirmed it received the council’s letter and will decide whether to investigate.

     The ANC dominates the council, and Mathang accused other parties of using the Miss World pageant to manipulate the public and brew a storm over the confidentiality clause resolution. Opposition parties, however, are worried of a repeat of the Miss World mystery.

     “The principle of the matter is that tomorrow we can decide which contracts are sensitive and which ones to put in the public space,” said DA spokesman Mmusi Maimane on the day the resolution was passed. “The great news was that for the first time all the opposition parties agreed on one issue together.” On the same day, all opposition parties walked out of the council chamber over an ANC member’s claim the DA used a racial slur.

     Calling on the public protector to investigate an issue in which one is implicated is become a handy political move. Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe did it when implicated with his partner Gugu Mtshali in soliciting a R104-billion bribe.

      It seems to silence the pundits. Letting Madonsela audit your accounts is like welcoming a Stephen Sackur interview; no one wants that sort of scrutiny if you’re in the wrong.
 
     But don’t bank on a public protector’s report into the pageant just yet. First, her office must find it worthwhile to look into. Second, she’ll need access to the elusive information.

 
     After almost three years of controversy, was hosting a competition that upholds Western values of beauty and judges contestants on how they can rock a bikini (the event which won Kaiane Aldorino the crown) really worth the trouble? Mathang explained that South Africa is a diverse country where some people enjoy slaughtering sheep and others enjoy pageants.

 
     Gibraltar might buy that, but it doesn’t depend on the City of Johannesburg for basic services, nor would it care that the money used to host its win could have been used towards solving the diabolical billing crisis.

 
 
By Greg Nicolson for The Daily Maverick, Gibraltar, 8/6/2012


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Trans-Identified Male Crowned “Miss Greater Derry 2023,” Takes Home Women’s Scholarship

A local beauty pageant is attracting ample mockery on social media after a trans-identified male was crowned the winner of the competition and awarded a scholarship intended for young women. Brían Nguyen , 19, was awarded the crown in the Miss Greater Derry pageant, held on November 8 in the Greater Derry area of New Hampshire. The competition is a locally-run event under the national Miss America series of pageants. In addition to winning the crown, Nguyen will receive the  Miss Greater Derry Scholarship , a financial award established to support young women. Nguyen, who is male, is a freshman at Nashua Community College majoring in Business Management. After his win, Nguyen wrote on  Facebook : “ I am ecstatic to be the FIRST transgender woman to be a Miss America local titleholder, and I hope to make everyone proud and become the first to walk the Miss America stage. I am Brían Nguyen, your Miss Greater Derry 2023 .” Nguyen had previously announced on Instagram that he has intention

Miss America CEO & Others Resign Amid Scandal Over Offensive Emails – Update

2nd UPDATE, 12:03 PM:  Miss America Organization  CEO  Sam Haskell  resigned his post today amid an investigation into offensive emails he sent about a pageant winner. In a statement He has resigned along with president and COO Josh Randle and Lynn Weidner, the board chair who sent emails involved in the controversy. Related Two More Ex-Fox News Employees Join Defamation Suit Against Bill O'Reilly - Update According to a Twitter post from Dan Meyers, who is taking over as interim chairman, Weidner will remain on the board during a transition period: View image on Twitter Miss America Org ✔ @MissAmericaOrg Update from the Board of Directors... 3:01 PM - Dec 23, 2017   35 35 Replies     144 144 Retweets     291 291 likes Twitter Ads info and privacy UPDATED, 5:30 PM:  The Miss America Organization suspended its chief executive today, less than 24 hours after emails surfaced in which he disparaged the

Miss USA Vice-President Max Sebrechts Accused Of Sexual Harassment

IMAGE COURTESY: MISS ACADEMY  Max Sebrechts, the husband of Crystle Stewart, President of Miss USA organization (and formerly Miss USA 2008), has been accused of sexual improprieties by several Miss USA 2021 contestants, according to a YouTube video “Miss USA Scandal?” by Natly Denise, a “truther and pop-culture enthusiast.” You can watch the entire video here: https://youtu.be/8xM2jXL6MXw On her video, Natly displays a screenshot  of an anonymous email sent to the affiliates of IMG/Endeavor including to Paula Shugart, president of the Miss Universe Organization (MUO). The email was cc’d to Crystle and Michael Hannah (franchise director of Miss USA). The author of the email claims that MUO has been sent substantial evidence of Sebrechts’ sexual predatory behavior and Shugart has known about it for a while but didn’t say anything (obviously to cover it up and to protect Crystle). Natly also displays screenshots of direct messages sent to her by former Miss USA contestants (the names hav