The reigning Miss Botswana, Anicia Gaothuse has assured the nation that she is ‘fine’ following social media allegations of a fallout with the management of the pageantry.
The reigning Miss Botswana queen, Anicia Gaothuse has assured the nation that she is ‘fine’ following allegations of fallout with the management of the pageantry. The management came under fire from social media commentators and fans after claims that they were planning to fire Gaothuse, refused to give her car prize. The management also found itself under heavy criticism for her ‘wardrobe malfunction’.
However during a joint press briefing earlier today (Thursday), both Gaothuse and the management denied the allegations. Gaothuse said she was fine and had no issues with the pageantry management. “I am fine. I am okay. I want to take a moment to address something that has been weighing heavily on my heart. From the very beginning of my journey to becoming Miss Botswana, one of the things I am most proud of is being a true testament to what a united nation can achieve, which is why I wear the crown of unity,” the reigning queen told journalists in Gaborone. She said throughout the competition, she has received unconditional love. “Throughout the competition, complete strangers showed me love and sponsored everything I needed without me even asking because they believed in me and had faith that I could represent our country well. I continue to receive this love through the many messages of support, encouragement I am getting daily and for that, I am forever grateful,” she said.
Gaothuse dismissed rumours that she tried committing suicide saying she was a strong believer in Christ. “One thing I can assure you is that my faith would never allow me to ever think of taking my own life,” she said. She added that it was hurtful to see such narratives being spread in the name of protecting her. Gaothuse further said being Miss Botswana had been her dream since she was child adding that she was grateful that winning Miss World was a dream that they shared together as a nation.
She also said the vision was clear adding that she had been preparing for it with the public’s support and the support of Miss Botswana organization. She explained that she was currently focusing towards winning Miss World for her country, which was also her dream. As for the car, Gaothuse said she personally asked the management to keep it until the time when she is licensed to drive. She added that Miss Botswana was helping her pay for her driving school.
“To me, Miss world is a symbol of boldness and strong women who are change makers, that’s what I aspire to be. I may be calm but I am strong, resilient, and determined to live up to the challenge of representing my country. Positivity is key at this point, let’s use this space to continue to support one another and spread kindness. Together, we can create a more positive and supportive community. Let’s lift each other up,” she said.
For his part, Miss Botswana director Benjamin Raletsatsi said when they inherited the pageant six years ago, it was surrounded by bad publicity and they vowed to rebuild it into a credible pageant. He said they had so far achieved a lot and had good reputation. He also said he was worried about the kind of information that was spread on social media without confirmation.
“However, we sometimes get it wrong with the wardrobe. Dressing Gaothuse has been a challenge. We do not walk in the shop and buy her clothes but have to engage fashion designers to assist and at times we are given short notice invites. We are currently in contact with 10 designers to assist with her wardrobe as she prepares for Miss World. As for the car, our contract states that she gets it at the end of her reign. The car is already bought,” he added.
