Qhawekazi ‘Qhawe’ Mazaleni, who won the Miss South Africa title in 2025, joined in on the traditional Spring Day activities, getting doused with water by several excited children.
The beauty queen had visited Alexandra’s Third Avenue Children’s Library, not realising that 1 September marked a day of mischievous fun for most children from the township.
Also see: Spring Day celebrations face backlash over township water fights
A quick read to start the day
Taking to social media, Qhawe shared that she visited the library in celebration of National Book Week, the first week of September, which coincides with International Literacy Day on 8 September 2026.
She entertained the children with the book Yes Yanga by local author Refiloe Moahloli and a quick game of cricket.
“We read the story in English, but I made sure to repeat it in another language to make sure every child could understand and follow the story.
Qhawe also emphasised how reading unlocks the ability to read and learn about the importance of representation.
View this post on Instagram
Also see: Discover Africa through 5 must-read books
Miss SA participates in Spring Day activities
After completing the activities she initially set out, it was time for one more unplanned task for Qhawe: allowing the children to soak her with water.
“They were so kind and patient. I eventually had to surrender,” wrote the speech therapist.
In the clip, Qhawe sits on the ground, surrounded by children with buckets and bottles of water ready for the splash.
Despite having to leave the event drenched, the pageant winner concluded with a smile on her face, emphasising the importance of reading and local and global access to books.
Also see: Fatal Spring Day stabbing causes division as SA debates water-dousing row
Be the first to know – Join our WhatsApp channel for content worth tapping into. Click here to join!
