NO WHITE JUDGES

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30529, 26 August 1964, Page 23

NO WHITE JUDGES

African Beauty Queens Firm (N.Z.P. A.-Reuter) JOHANNESBURG. Differences in standards of judgment of African beauty between whites and Africans caused trouble among competitors for the Transvaal beauty queen title in the Mofolo Hall, Soweto, Johannesburg. The trouble, which blew up after the selection of the winners, led to the whole competition being repeated. According to Mr Peter Makhubu, chief organiser of the beauty contest, competitors objected when a representative of a commercial company which uses African models was seen making entries on the marking sheets. He was not a judge. Influence Alleged

The competitors, beauty queens representing different areas in the Transvaal, protested that the man had influenced the adjudicators to judge on standards required by the man’s white-owned company. Mr Makhubu said that he had been warned by the girls earlier that they would not take part in the competition if there were white judges. They insisted that their beauty should be judged by African standards. He said whites regarded an African beauty as someone with a sharp nose, light complexion and thin lips. Whiteowned firms which used African beauty queens as models preferred girls who conformed to these standards. Africans differed from whites in their preferences. That was why entrants in beauty contests preferred to be judged by Africans.