Vera Johns was disqualified from taking part in the Miss World competition in London because she had not lived in South Africa for the required five years.
Vera Johns (born 1950) is a Rhodesian-born former beauty queen and actress. She is best known for her roles in Operation Hit Squad in 1987, Black Terrorist in 1978, and ‘n Seder Val in Waterkloof in 1978.
After winning Miss South African pageantry in 1975, she was to represent the country at the Miss World pageant. She was disqualified shortly before the Miss World pageant. The disqualification followed the revelation that she was Rhodesian.
| Vera Johns | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Short Profile | |
| Full name: | Helga Vera Johns |
| Born: | 1950 (age 73 years old) |
| Place of birth: | Rhodesia |
| Spouse | Alan Sutherland (m. 1980-2020) |
| Occupation: | Beauty queen and actress |
| Residence: | Near the Mooi River, KwaZulu-Natal |
| Title: | Miss Rhodesia (1972), Miss South Africa pageant (1975). |
Early Life
Vera Johns was born in 1950 in Southern Rhodesia and won the Miss Rhodesia, the national beauty pageant of Rhodesia, in 1972.
Career
Miss Rhodesia 1972 title holder Vera Johns won the Miss South Africa pageant in 1975. She succeeded former Miss South Africa and Miss World Anneline Kriel.
A few days before Vera represents the country at the Miss World competition in London, she was disqualified from participating because she had not lived in South Africa for five years. Discovering she was actually Rhodesian added to the disqualification.
The actress appeared as herself in Dingetjie & Idi (1977), a film by Dirk de Villiers. She also appeared in ‘n Seder Val in Waterkloof in 1978.
Appearing in Terrorist (1978) and Operation Hit Squad (1987) added to her movie credits.
Vera and other beauty queens appeared in a television documentary, A Salute to Beauty: 40 Years of Miss South Africa (1999).
Personal Life
Vera Johns married Alan Sutherland, a former New Zealand rugby union player, in 1980. She met her husband when the New Zealand rugby team visited South Africa in 1976.
The couple settled near the Mooi River in KwaZulu-Natal after their marriage. They ran a successful horse stud farm. She did have a rose named after her. Her husband died in South Africa in May 2020.
Filmography
- Operation Hit Squad (1987)
- Black Terrorist (1978)
- ‘n Seder Val in Waterkloof (1978)
- Dingetjie & Idi (1977
- Terrorist (1978)
- A Salute to Beauty: 40 Years of Miss South Africa (1999)