Langa township is well-known for its rich political history and for producing some of the country’s top athletes and musicians.
The area is now hoping to add another accolade in its list of achievements. On Freedom Day, Wednesday 27 April, the township will host the first ever Mr Langa contest in the hope of breaking new ground. The competition will be held at Jordan’s Way of Cooking. At least 16 contestants will be vying for honours as Langa’s top dog.
Event organiser Cinga Dyantyisi said the idea is to provide a platform for men to express themselves.
“The concept came after the passing of one of the music icons – Ricky Rick. I was with my other three friends talking about the whole hype of Ricky’s death. We noticed that people who were sharing their views on social media and other platforms were stating that the majority of men bottle their feelings inside. They don’t speak out which leads to some of them committing suicide and others getting depression,” he said.
Dyantyisi said their objective is to find someone who is going to be an ambassador for men in the community.
“We had more than 50 entries but we trimmed the number down to 16 people. We also went back to the community to vet them because we don’t want someone who is going to tarnish the competition and Langa as whole,” he said.
The contestants are between the ages of 23 and 55 and are well-known people in the community.
“We decided to select people who are active in the community since it is our first competition. Our plan is to lure more people to come and watch. Then as the show goes on everyone will be eligible to enter it,” he said.
Dyantyisi said they plan to host the event annually. The competition will feature all 16 candidates. They will then be reduced to 12, to top eight, top four and finally to the top three, where the ultimate Mr Langa will be chosen. “Everyone is going to be a winner. Whoever entered the competition won’t go home empty handed,” he said, refusing to divulge the exact prizes. He pleaded with all the business people to support the initiative.
“We don’t have enough sponsors. We will appreciate any kind of donation. For example, if someone is making wine they can donate 16 bottles of wines for our contestants,” he said.
Tickets for the show cost R150. Call Dyantyisi on 069 108 0049 for details.