adminBLACK Opal Face of Zimbabwe (BOFOZ) has unveiled 16 beauties who will be vying for the $8,000 prize money at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC) next month. The 16 finalists survived eight rigorous rounds of SMS voting after entering the cosmetics range’s competition following their purchase of Black Opal products worth $30.
Two Bulawayo beauties Tanaka Manyuzu and Tatenda Mugwambi will be joining Harare’s Hazel Kurwakumire, Tuso Jumbe, Tsitsi Taruvinga, Nyasha Chitemere, Melody Komara, Cynthia Mafumhe, Ratidzai Changwesha, Rufaro Moyo, Shingai Muchenje, Diana Rupapa, Natasha Murape, Shamiso Muradzikwa, Chitungwiza’s Mercy Kamanura and Trish Hakata from Beitbridge.
Entertainment at the finale will be provided by Sulumani Chimbetu, Cynthia Mare, Jah Prayzah, Shinsoman and Souljah Love.
Black Opal marketing director, Tatenda Mutseyekwa, said voting for the winner would begin next week Saturday.
“Fifty percent of the votes will be drawn from the votes while the other 50 percent will come from the judges.
“Numbers to SMS to will be revealed in due course,” said Mutseyekwa.
It seems the Face of Zimbabwe contestants are better looking than this year’s Miss World Zimbabwe finalists if comments on the Black Opal Zimbabwe Facebook page are anything to go by.
Debate was sparked with some saying the calibre of Black Opal models was better than the Miss World Zimbabwe finalists.
Pelma Mazhindu questioned: “Where were these girls during Miss Zimbabwe?”
“They’re all gorgeous!” exclaimed Kinester Mutero Chigudugudze.
Representatives from BOFOZ were however quick to defend the Miss Zimbabwe Trust scouting team saying unlike Miss World Zimbabwe, their requirements were not strict as they use a different criteria.
“The criterion for choosing BOFOZ models is different from that of traditional pageants such as Miss Zimbabwe. There’s no height, weight or marital restriction and contestants simply need to be 18 years or older to enter.”
So flawless were the finalists that some felt the BOFOZ organisers had edited the pictures using software such as Photoshop and Photo Editor.
“Please don’t edit the pictures, that’s not beauty . . . a picture should be natural because now the face and the body skin not even . . . That’s not beauty (sic),” commented Fecundity Makhumalo Wachoe.
A chief photographer with a local newspaper argued that BOFOZ models had the unfair advantage of professionally crafted pictures compared to those uploaded on the Miss World Zimbabwe Facebook page.
“It’s clear that the pictures of the (BOFOZ) models were taken from a studio with the right lighting and resources to come out with the best shots,” he said.
It remains to be seen if the contestants look as flawless as they do when they catwalk on the ramp come next month.
“I hope there won’t be anyone with hidden scandals that will only pop up after winning. May the best one win,” posted Chipo Kamusikiri. – Harare Bureau/Showbiz Reporter.
Online Reporter