BY PHUMZILE NDLOVU
MANZINI – Newly crowned Miss Cultural Heritage Gcinizwi Tsikati (20) and her princesses on Saturday received the prizes. The prize-giving was held at the Alcon House in Manzini.
Tsikati was crowned the queen at the Mlawula Camp Fire Festival late last month. The prize giving ceremony was attended by representatives of different sponsors of the pageant, namely Oukitel Eswatini, Imisebe Publishing, Emnazini Phumula, Eclipse Investments, and Eswatini National Council of Arts and Culture CEO Stanley Dlamini.
The prizes included a cash prize from Eclipse Investments worth E60 000, a weekend away at Sibebe Resort, plus meals and entertainment.
One of the sponsors of the prizes was Imisebe Publishers, one of Eswatini’s premier SiSwati publishers. The publishers mentioned at the prize-giving ceremony that they are deeply committed to initiatives that preserve and celebrate culture.
The Miss Cultural Heritage pageant, an event that resonates with the mission to uphold and enrich Eswatini’s heritage, is one of the key cultural endeavours we proudly support. This year, in partnership with the National Arts and Culture Council, they renewed their commitment to this event, which serves as a platform to honour cultural pride and encourage young ambassadors to carry forward the values of EmaSwati.
Part of the sponsorship from Imisebe Publishers, each Miss Cultural Heritage winner received a weekend getaway package inclusive of meals and entertainment vouchers, adding a touch of celebration to their achievements. Beyond these experiential rewards, they gifted each winner copies of our treasured siSwati publication, Umphandza—the first monolingual siSwati dictionary.
Additionally, they received two esteemed cultural books: Emagugu EmaSwati and Buciko Bemlomo, rich resources that foster a deeper understanding of our heritage and help the winners articulate the essence of EmaSwati with authenticity and pride.
