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Mia le Roux has become the first deaf contestant to be crowned Miss South Africa.
Le Roux, 28, diagnosed with profound hearing loss when she was a year old, said in her acceptance speech that she hoped her victory would inspire young men and women who felt excluded to pursue their “wildest dreams”.
“I am a proud South African deaf woman and know what it feels to be excluded. But thanks to the Miss South Africa Organization, I have a foot in the world of the included and I want to build a bridge between those two worlds,” she said.
“As your Miss South Africa, I want to partner with the government, corporate South Africa, and anyone who is able to help. To help the financially excluded or being differently able to achieve their wildest dreams just like I am tonight.”
Le Roux uses a cochlear implant to assist with her hearing and received two years of speech therapy before she spoke her first words.
She gets a cash prize of $53,371 (£41,814), a Mercedes Benz, and a furnished luxury apartment as the winning prize.
The Miss South Africa pageant has been dogged with controversy since 23-year-old law student Chidimma Adetshina was declared as one of the finalists on 1 July.
Born to a Nigerian father and South African mother in the Johannesburg township of Soweto, Adetshina has been subjected to persistent abuse questioning her nationality.
With cabinet ministers joining in and calling for investigation into her citizenship, Adetshina ended up withdrawing from the pageant on 8 August after the home affairs ministry alleged there were “prima facie indications” that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.
“After much careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw myself from the competition for the safety and well-being of my family and I. With the full support of the Miss South Africa Organisation, I leave with a heart full of gratitude for this amazing experience,” Adetshina wrote.