Trailblazing black beauty queen who defied apartheid South Africa dies aged 76

At the 1972 Miss World contest, Cynthia Shange was one of two contestants from South Africa - one black and one white. Cynthia Shange: Black beauty queen who represented South Africa at Miss World during apartheid dies Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. A black-and-white close up image of Cynthia Shange smiling Black beauty queen who represented South Africa at Miss World during apartheid dies aged 76 Cynthia Shange also starred in Udeliwe, regarded as one of South Africa's first black feature films A black-and-white portrait image of Cynthia Shange smiling and wearing cultural clothing and and a headdress Trailblazer Cynthia Shange, regarded in South Africa as the first black woman to represent the country in the prestigious Miss World beauty competition at the height of apartheid, has died aged 76. Her daughter Nonhle Thema shared the news of her passing "with a heavy heart", as she paid tribute to her mother and her "compassionate" soul. "Please keep my family in your prayers during this difficult time," she wrote on social media. Hailed as a pioneer for her efforts on the international stage, Shange was also a formidable actress with a career spanning decades. The former beauty queen passed away early on Monday morning in hospital following an illness, according to local media. Thema's Instagram post also contained a celebration of life poster, with a short tribute, accompanied by a smiling photograph of Shange. "A graceful and compassionate soul whose presence brought warmth, dignity, and kindness to all those who knew her," it read, adding: "We honour her journey, her strength, and the love she shared so generously." Details of her funeral are to follow soon, the post said. Born Cynthia Philisiwe Shange on 27 July, 1949, she rose to prominence in the 1970s when she represented South Africa at the Miss World pageant. At the time, black women were not allowed to compete in Miss South Africa - due to the racist system of apartheid - and instead created their own parallel competitions such as Miss Africa South, which she won. In 1972, Shange competed in Miss World in London, alongside the white Miss South Africa participant, coming fifth. While she was the first black woman to represent South Africa at the beauty paegent, she was not the country's first non-white contestant. Two years earlier, Pearl Gladys Jansen had also competed as Miss Africa South, sparking a huge row at the contest, also held in London. However, according to the racial classifications used during apartheid South Africa, she was "coloured" - of mixed racial origin. These racial categories are still used n South Africa today. After competing in Miss World, Shange went on to become a well known film and television actress. Her notable works include Udeliwe, regarded as one of South Africa's first black feature films, and the historical drama Shaka Zulu. In 2024, she was awarded Life Time Achiever at the KZN Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards for her contribution to acting. Julius Malema is seen in his signature red overall in parliament What next for South African opposition firebrand Malema after his five-year prison sentence? Roelf Meyer is seen speaking at a government event. He's wearing a navy blue suit and light blue tie South Africa names apartheid-era politician as new ambassador to the US Geordin Hill-Lewis is seen with his fist raised after his election as the DA's new leader Can this man broaden the appeal of a South African party seen by some as 'too white'? A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent. for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica For centuries the prized sculptures, central to national identity, have been kept outside Zimbabwe's borders. The sentence raises huge questions marks over the political future of one of South Africa's most controversial politicians. Bellarmine Mugabe was arrested in February following the shooting of a 23-year-old man at his home in Johannesburg. The youngest of those freed from an Allied Democratic Forces camp is a girl aged just 14, Uganda's army says. Shamim Mafi is accused of brokering the sales of arms to Sudan's defence ministry on behalf of Iran. Many Nigerians associate bats with witchcraft but that did not deter ecologist Iroro Tanshi. The pontiff says his remarks have been misinterpreted after a spat with the US president. One of Sudan's most popular bands, Aswat Almadina, recall being in the studio when the war broke out three years ago.