Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
Youthful model, Shanaaz Banda (17) from the Shashe area (Ward 8) was this past weekend crowned the inaugural Miss Rural Beitbridge 2022 after shrugging off stiff competition from 17 others.
The pageant was held at Mtetengwe Primary School on Saturday afternoon.
The event was co-ordinated by Pure Black Beauty to expose raw talent and boost the confidence of models from rural communities so that they may be able to compete with those from the urban setup with ease.
For her efforts, Banda walked away with R1 200, one-night accommodation at Mutsa Lodge (Beitbridge) and a ticket to represent the Beitbridge district at the forthcoming Miss Culture Zimbabwe contest set for Harare in July.
Lisa Mbedzi (16) from the Lutumba area (Ward 5) who, from the onset, made known her intentions of walking away with the crown, was crowned the first princess. Kokesto Sibanda (20) from Shashe, Ronell Mbedzi (25) of Musane (Ward 11), and Prominence Moyo (22) of Malala (Ward 6) settled for second princes, Miss Cocktail and Best Dresser respectively.
The rest of the top five were awarded cash prizes of between R300 and R1 000. The models were drawn from Beitbridge’s 15 rural wards.
Tshivenda Hip-Hop artiste Prince Adrie Moyo, budding gospel artiste Eve and local traditional dance groups added colour to the event.
In an interview post the contest, Banda said she was glad that she came out tops as the competition was stiff.
“This was a tough contest as everyone put in a lot of effort. During my tenure, I intend to engage in many projects that will promote the talent of girls from the most disadvantaged communities, especially rural areas in Beitbridge.
“We need more of these contests as they help to build our confidence considering that most of the time, those in the rural areas are usually overlooked in programmes.”
Pageant co-ordinator, Allen Ngwerume said the top four winners will represent Beitbridge District the Miss Culture Pageant.
“Our target was the rural girl child aged between 15 and 25. The main objective was to build their confidence and also give them opportunities just like their colleagues in urban settlements,” Ngwerume said.
He said his modelling agency was casting the net wider to give rural models an opportunity to grow and showcase their talents.
“We are looking for models to sign, uplift, encourage and promote. At times, people in rural areas are left out of many programmes and we want to bridge that gap, especially in modelling.”
Beitbridge Proportional Representation Legislator, Metrine Mudau called on more stakeholders to support projects that seek to empower the girl child and youths in the district. – @tupeyo
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