The 2022 Miss South Africa Top 30 was recently announced, with Thulani Ndzotyana listed as one of the pageant hopefuls in the running to accept the crown from Lalela Mswane.
Calls grow for Thulani Ndzotyana to be removed from 2022 Miss SA
Controversy followed 2018’s Miss Mamelodi Sundowns for years after her former partner Khwezi Mafu, an active rugby player, was named in a sexual assault charge sheet that year.
From what we understand, Mafu was accused of sexually assaulting a virgin 18-year-old girl from Gqeberha. This voice note, recorded by a man who claims to be an eyewitness, contains an alleged account of what transpired in the early morning of 28 December 2017.
Here's the The Voice Note. Khwezi Mafu Should remain in Jail. That's where he belongs. #KhweziMafu pic.twitter.com/q3ALY8opQ3
— Man’s NOT Barry Roux (@AdvoBarryRoux) January 3, 2018
Mafu was arrested and charged with sexual assault in 2018, but a year later, the charges were withdrawn after prosecutors failed to locate a key state witness.
At the time, Ndzotyana was romantically involved with Mafu, who was a Blue Bulls player.
Friends of the alleged rape victim who saw Ndzotyana’s name included in the list of the 2022 Miss SA Top 30 finalists were outraged, considering that she had allegedly supported her former boyfriend at the time.
Moreover, there are claims that Ndzotyana had allegedly mocked the entire ordeal and went as far as purchasing fast foods for her former lover while he was held at North End Correctional Centre.
However, according to Ndzotyana, who at the time was 2018’s Miss Mamelodi Sundowns, she was instructed by her handlers to not publicly comment on the ongoing case.
In a statement sent to media on Tuesday, the Miss SA hopeful made it clear that she broke things off with Mafu as soon as he was arrested.
“I have not been in a relationship with him since he was arrested, I have not spoken about it at all except to close family members,” she wrote.
Still, her assertions are almost muted by the growing calls for the pageant competition to disassociate itself from contestants linked to crimes against women.
Thulani Ndzotyana destroyed her chances of becoming Miss SA, all bcz of a "man" who wouldn't hesitate to leave her. She really sabotaged herself. We know she's not the perpetrator but she should've made a wise decision, considering that she might be a women's leader #MissSA2022
— Tšhegofatšo 📿📿🐾 (@MaabuleM) May 17, 2022
Miss SA has yet to issue a formal statement addressing the outrage.