At the Miss Limpopo Province finalist sash and workshop in Bolivia lodge, Jacqueline Malatji poses with the Miss Limpopo Province 2023 slash on. Photos cred: Kiley Kreations Photography
By Ottis Malatji
A woman who uses social media to advocate against body shaming, gender-based violence (GBV), and negative casting of people with disabilities on television soaps, has been named one of the Miss Limpopo finalists.
Jacqueline Masilo Malatji (24) was one of 20 selected at a function at Bolivia Lodge, Polokwane on September 16 2022. The beauty queen from Turfloop Unit D in Mankweng is looking to add another glittering sash to the more than 16 she already has in her name. Miss Capricorn Influencer of the Year 2022, Miss Toronto 2018/19, and Miss Maropeng Foundation 2018 are among the notable sashes in her cabinet.
The masters in media studies candidate was often bullied by schoolmates for her outspoken character. While doing grade 10 in 2014, Malatji recognised modelling as a platform to fight against bullying. “I knew that using hands (fighting back physically) was not going to be the best way to go about it, so I decided to use a platform that was bigger and louder, which for me was modelling.”She sees modelling as a stage to stand up for herself and for others who cannot use their voices against bullies, by bringing the issue out in the open.
Malatji took an interest in advocating for the casting of persons with disabilities after Mxolisi Nodom, who is deaf and uses sign language, was cast as Thando in the e.tv soap opera, Scandal, in 2021. The reaction of people on social media who thought he was just playing the role of a deaf person perfectly, without them knowing that he was indeed deaf, got Malatji thinking. “For me it came back to asking myself that if society is used to having disabled characters portrayed by non-disabled people, what message is the media sending to the society?”
Advocating on different online platforms through messages of support and charity work, Malatji is optimistic about putting an end to the trend of non-disabled people playing the roles of disabled characters. She believes that there are enough actors with disabilities that have the talent and qualifications to carry out such roles.
She is also involved in fighting against body shaming and the pandemic of GBV as she believes these issues contribute to death by suicide, especially among the male gender.
Eyeing the Miss Limpopo crown to take her advocacy to another level, Malatji says, “It will take it to the highest height because if I win, I will be preaching the word of casting people with disabilities on TV, not only saying the word but having the platform to visit far places to meet people with disabilities and spread the message of them being okay in the manner in which they are, and motivate them to study courses like media and performing arts so that we can have an abundance of disabled actors playing on our screens.”
The finals of the Miss Limpopo pageant are set to take place on November 26 2022.
