Young finalists in a R2.5-million Miss Amathole Heritage 2015 beauty pageant feel bitterly cheated of portions of their promised winnings.They also say they have not been asked to do any “ambassadorial” or charity work since the final high-energy awards ceremony in October at the University of Fort Hare.
Municipal cash pledged to Rulahe and her company came from:
lADM, R2.03-million;
lNgqushwa, R175000;
lMnquma R350000; and
lThe Eastern Cape Liquor Board, R10000.
The board is headed by former Nkonkobe municipal manager Khanyile Maneli, who hails from Rulashe’s village near Alice.
Documents seen by the Dispatch show that the funds were paid into an FNB stokvel account registered under Rulashe and her relative, Anita Rulashe.
The account was opened on August 31 2015 and four days later the cash-strapped ADM deposited R840000 into the account followed by R1.19-million on September 9.
Rulashe did not deny personally benefiting from the municipal funding or the other state money. She said she started the commercial event four years ago to uplift young rural women and had been working with a number of municipalities and individuals to help fund it.
She said: “The Kia is mine. It’s the car I am going to use to do the work of Miss Amathole Heritage. The Ford is going to be used by the pageant’s winner, who is also an ambassador of Miss Amathole Heritage. It is registered under my name and she will relinquish it to the winner later in the year.”
On Friday, after the Dispatch started calling Rulashe to get her response, she took to the stage of a hall at the University of Fort Hare packed with hundreds of schoolchildren, teachers and parents, and donated school uniforms to more than 300 schoolchildren.
She was surrounded by all 10 of the Miss Amathole Heritage 2015 finalists.
Afterwards, three finalists said they had never received their R1000 gift voucher from a leading clothing store as was advertised at the start of the pageant.
In her speech, Rulashe announced that three of the poorest top 10 finalists would each receive R50000 study bursaries and five would get R3500 towards their registration fees.
Rulashe told the crowd she had her jealous critics. “I don’t owe anyone anything. You can challenge me, but this is God’s gift.”
She confirmed the amounts given to her by the municipalities saying: “I did not spend all of it.
“I am left with between R200000 and R300000. This is not something that is going to stop. We have programmes at Miss Amathole Heritage that are continuing.”
ADM spokesman Siyabulela Makunga said their R2.03-million donation was “to fund the heritage pageant which included advertising, auditions and training of contestants, payment for entertainers and performers, and prizes etcetera, etcetera ”.
Mnquma spokesman Loyiso Mpalantshane said: “The R350000 was contributed towards the success of the event as it is part of our commitment to ensure we support all programmes aimed at opening opportunities to meet the agenda of social upliftment.”
Eastern Cape Liquor Board spokesman Mgwebi Msiya said: “We paid R10000 in the build-up towards the event.”— zwangam@dispatch.co.za/bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Councillor justifies event fees
They also say they have not been asked to do any “ambassadorial” or charity work since the final high-energy awards ceremony in October at the University of Fort Hare.
Municipal cash pledged to Rulahe and her company came from:
lADM, R2.03-million;
lNgqushwa, R175000;
lMnquma R350000; and
lThe Eastern Cape Liquor Board, R10000.
The board is headed by former Nkonkobe municipal manager Khanyile Maneli, who hails from Rulashe’s village near Alice.
Documents seen by the Dispatch show that the funds were paid into an FNB stokvel account registered under Rulashe and her relative, Anita Rulashe.
The account was opened on August 31 2015 and four days later the cash-strapped ADM deposited R840000 into the account followed by R1.19-million on September 9.
Rulashe did not deny personally benefiting from the municipal funding or the other state money. She said she started the commercial event four years ago to uplift young rural women and had been working with a number of municipalities and individuals to help fund it.
She said: “The Kia is mine. It’s the car I am going to use to do the work of Miss Amathole Heritage. The Ford is going to be used by the pageant’s winner, who is also an ambassador of Miss Amathole Heritage. It is registered under my name and she will relinquish it to the winner later in the year.”
On Friday, after the Dispatch started calling Rulashe to get her response, she took to the stage of a hall at the University of Fort Hare packed with hundreds of schoolchildren, teachers and parents, and donated school uniforms to more than 300 schoolchildren.
She was surrounded by all 10 of the Miss Amathole Heritage 2015 finalists.
Afterwards, three finalists said they had never received their R1000 gift voucher from a leading clothing store as was advertised at the start of the pageant.
In her speech, Rulashe announced that three of the poorest top 10 finalists would each receive R50000 study bursaries and five would get R3500 towards their registration fees.
Rulashe told the crowd she had her jealous critics. “I don’t owe anyone anything. You can challenge me, but this is God’s gift.”
She confirmed the amounts given to her by the municipalities saying: “I did not spend all of it.
“I am left with between R200000 and R300000. This is not something that is going to stop. We have programmes at Miss Amathole Heritage that are continuing.”
ADM spokesman Siyabulela Makunga said their R2.03-million donation was “to fund the heritage pageant which included advertising, auditions and training of contestants, payment for entertainers and performers, and prizes etcetera, etcetera ”.
Mnquma spokesman Loyiso Mpalantshane said: “The R350000 was contributed towards the success of the event as it is part of our commitment to ensure we support all programmes aimed at opening opportunities to meet the agenda of social upliftment.”
Eastern Cape Liquor Board spokesman Mgwebi Msiya said: “We paid R10000 in the build-up towards the event.”— zwangam@dispatch.co.za/bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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