Mia le Roux has become the first deaf woman to be crowned Miss South Africa following a divisive competition which saw one finalist withdraw after being trolled over her Nigerian heritage.<\/strong><\/p>\n In her acceptance speech, Ms Le Roux said she hoped her victory would help those who felt excluded from society to achieve their “wildest dreams, just like I am”.<\/p>\n She said she wanted to help those who were “financially excluded or differently abled”.<\/p>\n Last week 23-year-old law student Chidimma Adetshina pulled out of the competition following allegations that her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.<\/p>\n Ms Adetshina was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a mother of Mozambican origin.<\/p>\n She had been at the centre of a social media storm for several weeks, with many people, including a cabinet minister, questioning her right to represent the country.<\/p>\n She said she had been the victim of “black-on-black hate”, highlighting a particular strain of xenophobia in South Africa known as “afrophobia”, which targets those from other African countries.<\/p>\n Ms Le Roux, 28, was diagnosed with profound hearing loss at the age of one and has a cochlear implant to help her perceive sound.<\/p>\n She said it had taken two years of speech therapy before she was able to say her first words.<\/p>\n After winning, the model and marketing manager said: “I am a proudly South African deaf woman and I know what it feels like to be excluded.<\/p>\n “I know now that I was put on this planet to break boundaries and I did it tonight.”<\/p>\nYou may also be interested in:<\/h2>\n