Patience Serumola has become the first ever Miss Culture and Peace Botswana after beating eleven other contestants at Mantlwaneng Theatre (Westwood International School) on Saturday, March 28.
Miss Culture and Peace International (Botswana) made its debut in Gaborone courtesy of local licence holder, Thokgamo Mogapi.
The event saw twelve beautiful young women competing for a chance to represent the country in Mexico between October 17 and 25, 2015.
The beauties first took to the stage rocking hot-pants and t-shirts as they performed a choreographed group dance. The second round was about culture and taking it back to basics as the ladies hit the catwalk in stunning traditional attires representing the diverse tribes across Botswana.
And if you thought the so called ‘ma-14′ could not get down to traditional music you could not have been more wrong. The ladies proved they are not just about Hip Hop/House music as they displayed their traditional dance skills from Kalanga, Setapa, and Sebirwa to Sesarwa. For the third round they took it to the beach with a bikini parade before finishing off with the conventional evening gown in which they looked absolutely gorgeous.
Following the evening gown parade Gaone Gachala, Bernice Dema, Neelo Nthobatsang, Patience Serumola, Phenyo Madisakwane and Duduetsang made it to top six.
Duduetsang had been voted Miss Photogenic and automatically made the top six through public votes.
Nthobatsang, Serumola and Dema made it to the top three where they were asked questions by the judges.
Serumola was eventually crowned the 2015 Miss Culture and Peace with Nthobatsang and Dema settling for first and second princesses respectively. The new queen will compete at Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico in October this year. Giving a speech after the pageant licence holder and organiser, Mogapi, said it was her determination that made the pageant a success despite challenges. “I now have to prepare and groom the queen for the international competition. Doctor’s Aid which is our sponsor will be sponsoring the queen with her medical expenses even when she competes in Mexico,” she said. Mogapi said the main aim of the international pageant is to promote culture. “That has not always been the case with other pageants.”
Mokgabo Fashions announced during the pageant that they will be sponsoring the queen’s wardrobe when she competes internationally. Serumola will have to complete a social responsibility project as part of her portfolio to be presented to the international competition. Fourteen finalists were selected following auditions held in November 2014 at the National Art Museum and their ages ranged from 18 to 24 as per the international standards.
