The Miss SA 2009 pageant has officially started. And as further proof that the pageant has hit an all-time low, there is no longer an official website. The entry form is available on the Sun International website. Whether this is a temporary arrangement remains to be seen.But what does the pageant hold for fans this year? Will the group of finalists comprise
*a handful of former runners-up with a reasonable chance of succeeding;
*a gaggle of former no-hopers who are under the impression that they are actually world-class;
*a few undiscovered gems that could bring back an international title on merit and not because of "connections" or "favours"; or
*has the next Miss SA already been chosen and the illusion of a "free and fair" contest is merely being perpetuated yet again?
What is more than likely is that the pageant will not be aired on SABC given that organisations' current financial problems. Whether M-Net has been duped by the Miss SA Organisation into covering the pageant also remains to be seen.
It is all but caste in stone that the next Miss SA will be of African descent (whether deserved or not), and that a former multiple runner-up will NOT enter unless she "gets the call" from "whats-her-face".
Let's wait and see what happens.