By Seleoe Nonyane
SothoKids Culture agency model and Mr Culture 2023 Thabiso Vuyisile Griffiths has announced his exit from the organisation and participation in modeling activities as of this week.
This comes after the model cried foul over non-payment of his prize money by the King Moshoeshoe Film Festival director, Aubrey Selinyane, for winning the Mr Culture 2023 title this year.
Griffiths said he is in a bad space and has, as a result, taken the decision to excuse himself from all activities that may require him to be around people.
Thabiso said Selinyane had made a commitment to pay the winners of the competition after six months.
The Mr Culture king was crowned on March 11 2023 along with Keketso Jobo who scooped the Miss Culture 2023 title.
There is still one more month to go until the six months expires but Thabiso is having none of it.
He told this publication this week that he has been trying to contact Selinyane on multiple occasions but he is not returning his calls or responding to his texted messages.
Griffiths complained that he incurred a lot of costs preparing for the pageant – from outfits to transport – and this has left him drowning in debt. He had hoped to pay off his debts from the prize money.
“Preparing for this pageant was difficult for me as I sometimes had no taxi fare to attend rehearsals. I would walk from Mazenod to Lesotho High School just to make sure I attended the rehearsals.
“It is really hard for me right now as I am struggling to even buy food,” he noted.
For her part, the Miss Culture 2023 queen Keketso Jobo said she is still confident that the prize money will come in as it was promised to come in September, not before that.
She does not support her male counterpart’s hardline stance to vent his anger on social media, something she says would be understandable if September had come and passed without receiving their money.
theReporter was unable to get a comment from Selinyane as he had not read or responded to our questions at the time of going to print.
However, in 2022, Selinyane made good on his commitment to pay the three winners of the Miss Culture Lesotho their cash prizes in July 2022.
The Miss Culture 2022 Queen winner received M14 500 at a prize giving-ceremony which was held at the Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation’s offices.
First Princess Lithapelo Makhele and second princess Keneuoe Talanyane received M6000 and M3000, respectively.
