Politics is just like fashion: One day you're in, the next day you're out. And just like every other aspect of life, politics affects pageants as well.Whilst South Africa is currently dancing to the tune of Mainland China, there was a time when renegade Taiwan (Republic of China), was the preferred dance partner. In the 80's, the reigning Miss SA would be the host at the SA Pavilion at the annual International Trade Fair in Taiwan, and their national beauty would visit South Africa as a reciprocal gesture of friendship.
In 1978, the Miss World organisation finally succumbed to international pressure and banned SA from the pageant. The one day they gladly accepted the entry fee for the South African delegate, and the next day it was blood money. In fact, to illustrate the about-turn in attitude towards South Africa, Eric Morley near dive-tackled Michelle Bruce at a venue being visited by the Miss World delegates at the 1989 pageant in Hong Kong.
Michelle was visiting Hong Kong as part of her Far East tour, and "happened" to be at the same venue as the Miss World delegates. When the television crew panned across to Miss SA whilst filming the arrival of the Miss World delegates, Eric rushed across and physically bumped Miss SA out of the shot. Two years later, the Miss World Organisation was happily accepting hand-outs from Sun International and a year later they were presenting the pageant at Sun City. Yet another about-turn.
It's all so fickle. Politics and fashion and pageants and life. One day you're in, the next day you're out.