Beauty queen with a child
’MAKERESEMESE LETUKA
MASERU – Twenty-four-year-old newly crowned Miss Lesotho 2022, Lintle Masasa, is looking forward to an eventful reign after being the first to enter Lesotho’s pageant history to hold the crown while she has a child. Lintle plans to focus her energy in the implementation of mental health and literacy for adolescents’ project during her reign.
The beauty queen, who hails from Mount Moorosi in the district of Quthing, has scooped the Miss Lesotho title at an event held at the ’Manthabiseng Convention Centre on Saturday in Maseru. She successfully battled her way ahead of eight equally beautiful and talented contestants.
She succeeds Tiisetso Seliane who took the mantle in 2021. The final top three finalists also include Refiloe Lefothane, who also got the top model sash, and Liteboho Makoetje.
Lintle is currently the co-director of the Mr & Miss Culture Lesotho Pageant. In 2016 she came close to being crowned queen in the year’s Miss Lesotho pageant when she became the 1st Princess when Mpoi Mahao was crowned queen.
“I am still getting used to the idea of being Miss Lesotho, and I am very excited about it. I really cannot wait to go through the Miss Lesotho journey, go out to the community, especially the project I was assigned, which is mental health and literacy.
“I want to implement it and sustain it even beyond my reigning period; I want that when my time is up I should have left a mark and an imprint. I am going to fulfill all my duties that come with the crown.
“I am very thankful to the Miss Lesotho management that eased the restrictions like allowing us girls with children to also participate, it has really given us an idea of inclusivity to empower women,” said Lintle.
Lintle is one of the founding members of several King Moshoeshoe Film Festival programmes, which includes being the first pageant director of the Mr & Miss Culture Lesotho (2019/2020) that had to be canned due to the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.
She has also been an adviser behind the scenes in the creation of the King Moshoeshoe International Fashion Show and also exhibited on May 28 as a fashion designer in the Emerging Designers Awards Category.
Miss Lesotho Director Molulela Monyake said hosting the event in itself was a success, but highlights for some of the successes of this year was the support they received from every single organisation and individual.
However, challenges in the beginning were the finances which forced herself and the team out of comfort zone so they can work harder and deliver the best show and to improve next time. “We achieved a lot of some of our objectives this year. This year we had not placed restrictions that were very limiting to everyone.”
Lintle is the first Miss Lesotho to be crowned, while a mother to a child, and believes she is to be the face and voice of the women in Lesotho that do not feel they are seen – she is the face of change and the new era. “The plan is to send Refiloe, Miss Lesotho Top Model and runner-up to the Miss World,” she added.
Miss Lesotho was established in 1978 when the first winner, Joan Libuseng Khoali went to Miss Universe 1978 in Mexico. Lesotho is no longer participating in the Miss Universe pageant, but since 1979 the main winner has been able to participate at the Miss World competition.
