It was a first of its kind - beauties parading in traditional unders, mashedo and swibelani. That was the order of the day during the Miss Vhembe Cultural Beauty Contest 2008 that was held at the Thohoyandou Town Hall during the weekend.

The competition, aimed to revive the Venda culture amongst young and old, was held under the auspices of the Nyanenge Projects, a Vhembe-based non-profit organization.

The beauty hopefuls paraded in near nudity, wearing only their traditional underwear, much to the amazement of those who attended, most of whom know nothing about mashedo and xibelani. They went through their paces without looking straight at the spectators while kneeling down and doing u losha as a sign of showing respect the traditional way. They underwent a vigorous elimination process until the best three were left.

Speaking at the function, the acting executive mayor of the Vhembe District Municipality, Ms Florence Rumani, called on all interested parties to join hands with the management team of Nyanenge Projects to spearhead, foster, enhance and promote the customs and traditions of the Vhembe District. Rumani said the district was blessed in that it is the cultural hub of the province because of its great cultural diversity and panoramic demographics. “We celebrate our diverse cultures which unify the district because we believe in beauty there is purpose and vision. We have the responsibility to support this type of event that revives both the young and the old who promote the customs and traditions of the indigenous people of the Vhembe District,” she said.

 She said it was initiatives such as those by Nyanenge Projects that would ensure that culture featured prominently in the lives of the youth, so that they did not lose sight of where they came from as a people. She said what the Nyanenge Project was doing would go a long way towards promoting cultural awareness among the indigenous people of Vhembe by emphasizing its importance and why local people should be proud of their heritage as it was uniquely theirs and gave them a sense of true identity as people. “By emphasizing the cultural norms and values, we will point the youth in the direction of emulating our ancestors in as far as fidelity and respect for oneself goes. This will foster a behavioral change among the youth and help address the challenges of HIV/Aids beyond the preaching of abstinence,” she emphasized.

Ivy Khorommbi (16) took the honours and collected a laptop, printer and a six-month computer course. Yingisani Baloyi (17) was declared the 1st princess and she took home a TV set and a six-month sponsored computer course. Amukelani Phephenyane was voted the 2nd princes and she won herself a microwave oven/double plate stove for her efforts.

Mr Khorommbi Ungulani, a board member for Nyanenge Projects, said he was overwhelmed by the response they received in their first competition. “We never thought that the response would be so positive; we are now planning for a better and improved event,” he said. Ungulani expressed his gratitude for the support they received from the general public and also the sponsors.  “To our partners in the Vhembe district I can only say that we are humbled; let this relationship flourish and be long-lasting,” he said.