adminMelissa Mpofu Showbiz Editor
THIS year’s Miss Zimbabwe beauty contest taking place on June 14 is definitely not a show for the poor – but one for the elite as public tickets to the show have been pegged at $300.The country’s flagship pageant, which makes its return after a two-year absence, was ideally and strictly by invite event but, according to the Miss Zimbabwe Trust patron – Mary Mubaiwa-Chiwenga – uninvited guests interested in attending the show will have to part with $300 to secure a seat.
“This year we have asked the corporate world to sponsor Miss Zimbabwe as they are the ones with the money. They have to believe in what we are doing hence our decision to make the event an exclusive one,” Mubaiwa-Chiwenga said.
She said Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo would be the guest of honour at the black tie dinner taking place at Mabvazuva Village in Harare.
Less than 500 people will have the privilege to witness the crowning of the most beautiful woman in Zimbabwe live as the venue will only sit 450 people.
Meanwhile, preparations for the international modelling contest are at an advanced stage with the contestants sashing ceremony slated for Friday in Harare’s Highlands suburb. The names of the girls who will take to the ramp next week Saturday will finally be revealed to the public at the sashing ceremony.
According to Mubaiwa-Chiwenga, they have been withholding the contestants’ names as the ones in camp are not necessarily the ones who will contest at the finale.
“Currently there are 26 girls in camp who are undergoing grooming and etiquette lessons. There are so many things that we look at when they are in camp including the way they walk, talk and carry themselves.
“Some of the girls are really struggling. Even if you try and panel beat some of them, it still won’t work so these are the people we are booting out and keeping those who want to be kept,” Mubaiwa-Chiwenga said.
She added that one of the contestants was evicted on Sunday after failing to meet the organisers’ requirements.
“We are exercising due diligence on the selection of the contestants because we are preparing for the bigger contest – Miss World which has a lot of requirements. We will not just be sending a representative there, but a competitor,” she said.
While in camp, besides undergoing extensive grooming and etiquette lessons, the girls have been doing rehearsals for the finale, touring places such as the National Heroes Acre and game parks. Over the weekend, they graced the Zimbabwe vs Tanzania football match at the National Sports Stadium in Harare. Melissa Chaka – Miss Bulawayo, is still going strong as she has not yet been evicted from camp.
The girl who will be crowned queen will drive away in a Chevrolet Cruze with her 1st and 2nd princesses also driving away in Chevrolet Spark Lites as part of their winning prizes.
Mubaiwa said the would-be queen would be an ambassador of the National Defence College where she will work tirelessly to raise the flag of the ZDF at various platforms.
“We want to educate our girls on the roles of our defence forces.The girls need to have an understanding of the personnel and realise that they are friendly and disciplined people who can be emulated,” she said.
The queen will go on to represent the country at the Miss World finale in London. She will leave Zimbabwe on November 19 ahead of the finale which takes place on December 14.
It remains to be seen if Bulawayo will retain the Miss Zimbabwe crown as the outgoing queen, Bongani Dhlakama, is a Bulawayo beauty.
In the past decade, Bulawayo models have performed extremely well at the contest producing national queens including Lorraine Maphala, Oslie Muringai and Thabisile Dube.
Since taking over the pageant from Kiki Divaris last year, Mubaiwa-Chiwenga has embarked on a concerted drive to rebrand the beauty contest.
Online Reporter