Mia Le Roux has become the first deaf woman to win the title of Miss South Africa, a divisive pageant that saw one finalist withdraw from the competition after being trolled for her Nigerian origins.
In her acceptance speech Ms Le Roux said she hoped her win would help others who feel isolated from society to achieve their “biggest dreams, just like I am doing.”
She said she wanted to help people who were “economically disadvantaged or disabled.”
Last week, 23-year-old law student Chidinma Adetshina withdrew from the competition following allegations that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.
Ms. Adetshina was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a mother of Mozambican descent.
She has been the centre of a social media storm for weeks, and many, including a Cabinet minister, have questioned her right to represent the country.
She said she had been the victim of “black-on-black hatred,” highlighting a particular variety of xenophobia in South Africa known as “Afrophobia,” which targets people from other African countries.
Ms Le Roux, 28, was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of one, and has been fitted with a cochlear implant to help her perceive sound.
He revealed that he had to undergo speech therapy for two years to be able to speak his first words.
After winning, the model and marketing manager said, “I am a proud South African deaf woman and I know what it feels like to be ostracised.”
“I now know that I was sent to this planet to break boundaries, and tonight I did that.”
