Bald is beautiful
Mompati Tlhankane | Sunday November 7, 2021 09:54
Arts & Culture: First of all, congratulations on winning the crown. Can you kindly introduce yourself?
Molefe: My name is Palesa Molefe. I am a 22-year-old young lady from Boseja ward in Mochudi. By profession I am an actress, producer and writer.
Arts & Culture: Can you please describe your crowning moment? What was your initial reaction when you found out that you were the queen?
Molefe: I was astonished and shocked. Shocked is not even the word. I was humbled because I have been working very hard to become Miss Botswana. I have applied myself; I have given myself a chance to give it my all and best. I entered Miss Botswana with the intention of winning and becoming the version of a woman I know can represent our country. So when I won I said to myself, “thank you, my hard work and preparation paid off”.
Arts & Culture: Tell us about your Miss Botswana journey
Molefe: I entered the competition and was encouraged by a few friends of mine like Zinedine. I said, “okay ee mma thank you” and shrugged it off. She sent five other people to me and further encouraged me to enter the competition. I didn’t know what they saw that I couldn’t see. As soon as I entered, I saw what they were talking about and it was about applying myself, and becoming this woman that they saw. I was so happy to be in the Top 30 and in the Top 16.
I wanted to work even harder because I was surrounded by phenomenal women who are all different. When Top 16 came, I was elated. I was excited for the boot camp and when I got there I realised that this is a pruning season.
The boot camp is meant to take one through the process so that they are ready for Miss Botswana. Being crowned Miss Botswana is not luxury but it is meant to challenge you so that your best comes up. When people are under a lot of pressure, that is when you see their true character. I was challenged and I tried my best in the honest way possible and thankfully that was seen.
Arts & Culture: You just talked about phenomenal women. Who did you consider as a strong contender?
Molefe: Besides every single woman there, it was myself. They said to us all the time we are not competing against each other but we are competing against ourselves. You don’t look at your sister and tear her down but you look at how you can better yourself.
I look at how I can improve in these different aspects of my life. When you look at your sister and say competitor, you shoot her down and make sure that she loses and you win. A lot of times when that happens you find people sabotaging each other and speaking negative about each other. We were advised not to do that.
Arts & Culture: Tell us about how you were raised?
Molefe: My phenomenal woman who is my mother, Macy Molefe, is a single mother. She is a perfect example for me and a strong pillar. She is a woman who faces challenges head on and kicks them like grass.
I feel that is one thing that has stuck with me moving forward with my life. I have become a replica of her and more. When the years go on, you want to become the better version of yourself.
Arts & Culture: What does family life mean to you?
Molefe: Family means love, respect and great space for mistakes and growth. The one place that one should feel comfortable to make a mistake in is the family. When you get tripped you should be fine. You laugh with them and don’t feel ashamed because they are family. They are made to surround, hold, comfort and push you forward. It is what family means to me.
Arts & Culture: You are an actress and now you are Miss Botswana. What are your career choices going forward?
Molefe: I am going to continue being an actress. I am a creative at heart. So I believe coming into Miss Botswana was a chance to enhance that and incorporate creavity into Miss Botswana culture. They chose because they saw the potential in me.
Arts & Culture: Who is your role model and why?
Molefe: My mother is my role model because I know her personally and I find a great connection with her because we live together. I know the turmoil that she has been through and know the highs and the lows that she has been through. She still comes out with a big smile on her face. I want her to be proud of me.
Arts & Culture: In three words, how would you define your ideal Miss Botswana?
Molefe: Selfless, compassionate and resilient.
Arts & Culture: You are heading to the big stage, which is Miss World. What pointers did you get from Botswana?
Molefe: Miss World is a bigger stage. It’s more people that we are not used to. It’s different standards and criterion so what we are doing now is trying our very best to prepare. This journey has made me realise that what we have been doing at Miss World is child’s play. Everything has to be multiplied 10 times. In Botswana we are very kind people now when we go outside, it is not familiar territory. It’s very different, so we need to equip our Miss Botswana the best way we can so that when she is out there she is able to maintain Botho, protect herself and still persevere.
Arts & Culture: What do you think is your biggest strength as you represent Botswana at Miss World?
Molefe: It is eminent that my biggest strength is the support Botswana has shown me. The support I received is a lot and I have never seen anything like that. It’s very moving, heart-warming and shocking. Batswana saw things in me that I have never seen. They want me to shine like the star I am and it’s been one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had and I appreciate that.
Arts & Culture: How has the competition changed you?
Molefe: I feel different. I can’t put my finger on what is so different about me but I feel different. I feel that I have gone through a stage and layers of me have been shed. This is not the same Palesa that entered Miss Botswana and I feel like it’s a great thing. I feel more prepared. I feel like I can take on the tasks and duties that have been allocated to me, obviously with the help of the team of people around me.
Arts & Culture: Now that you are the queen, do you feel that more people will listen to you? Molefe: I definitely think so. Before becoming queen I had learnt how to build relations with people who wanted to advocate the message that I was putting out. The thing that I advocate is mental health so being on a bigger platform already you represent a nation, so people look at you and wonder what you are going to say. Miss Botswana is a platform for young ladies to go ahead in any field and let their choices and voices be heard.
Arts & Culture: Elaborate more on your mental health project
Molefe: Naturally I feel a consistent part of my reign will be mental health, off course with a creative twist. My project has a lot to do with education. It’s about re-educating the educator. We are not hoping to treat the symptom of the situation but we are going to treat the root cause of it which is teachers.
They are given this responsibility to groom and nurture the future leaders of tomorrow. But what happens when the superpower of being able to mould a child’s thinking and their way of understanding the world is misused? For example, what happens if a teacher verbally abuses a child or defames and ridicules a child in public or violently beats a child in the name of corporal correction? So what I then said was let’s not treat the symptom but treat the root cause which is the teacher.
The teacher is now going to be put into a workshop that deals with stress management and personal development well as offering free counselling.
This is important because teachers are individuals who have their own demons and issues that we know nothing of. So now it is to help and aid them to better create a great nurturing and learning environment for the students.
Arts & Culture: Can you tell us about your choice of hairstyle?
Molefe (Laughs): I am bald because I choose to be bald. I want a woman, man or child and anyone who looks at me to take away what they feel from my hairstyle and how it inspires them. I am the kind of person who when I watch a movie I do not want everything to become so obvious.
I like to take away what I take away from something. I am bald because I choose to be bald regardless of how the next person may feel.
I feel amazing in this hairstyle and guess what, if I grew my hair out, I would be fine. I am not ridiculing anyone for having a different hairstyle. I do not want people to feel a certain way for looking up to me and think “Palesa o letwadi le nna ke batla go nna letwadi”. No one is excluded from anything. It’s inclusivity but it does not mean the next group of people are not welcome in that space.
Arts & Culture: Now your life has changed, you have security detail and a driver, how does that feel?
Molefe: I love it, it’s very nice. With the title and everything that comes, certain measurements were put in place for a reason to make things more efficient, secure and comfortable. It’s a great wholesome package and well thought out.
Arts & Culture: What is your greatest achievement in life?
Molefe: It has been overcoming my anxiety and depression
Arts & Culture: Your advice to future queens
Molefe: “The best thing you can do for yourself in a competition and life in general is be authentic and resilient,” Emma Wareus said this to us in a workshop and I would love to pass that on because it deeply resonates with me.
Arts & Culture: Thank you for doing this and good luck next month at Miss World.
Molefe: Danko!