Paheja Siririka
WINDHOEK – At a night of glitz and glamour, Nadja Breytenbach, 24, was crowned Miss Namibia 2019 at the Windhoek Country Club Resort and Casino on Saturday evening.
The first runner-up is Julita-Kitwe Mbangula while Johanna Swartbooi was chosen as second runner-up with Varaa Hambira and Yana Heanisch part of the top five.
Clarise van der Vyver, first runner-up of Miss Namibia 2018 handed over the sash and crown to Breytenbach as Selma Kamanya, Miss Namibia 2018 could not attend to the task for the night.
“Due to the past and present circumstances which culminated in an adverse series of events and which further impaired my wellness, I hereby announce that I will not be attending tonight’s Miss Namibia event,” Kamanya, who has been on a warpath with the event’s organisers in recent weeks, said.
In the history of Miss Namibia, this might have been the first time a sitting Miss Namibia was unable to hand over the title to the incoming queen.
Michelle McLean-Bailey, Miss Namibia and Miss Universe in1992, as the co-host of the pageant with Radiowave presenter Chops Tshoopara, took the opportunity in the middle of the show to announce one of the perks Miss Namibia 2019 will be getting, which is a week-long stay in Miami for a training course and coaching in preparation for Miss Universe. The Miss Universe pageant will be the 68th edition this year and takes place in South Korea.
The Miss Namibia event went smoothly with performances by Vocal Motion 6 (VM6), Samuel Shinedima and Prime Ballerina Laura Bosenberg. The judges for this year’s pageant were Nic Kruger, former Miss Namibia national director, as the principal judge, Umbi Karuaihe-Upi, NBC chief commercial officer, Brumelda Ochs, Miss Namibia 2014, John Mutesi, manager for e-commerce at Air Namibia and Helena Mootseng, NDTC manager of public and corporate affairs.
The cash prizes for Miss Namibia 2019 include N$70 000 from NDTC, N$10 000 from Standard Bank, N$20 000 from NamibBre and N$10 000 from Wallenstein Dental Studio, with all the prizes totalling N$1.1 million.