Online Reporter
Following the crowning of Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2026, 34-year-old Roseanna Hall, questions have been raised after it emerged that she served as one of the judges at last year’s pageant.
The revelation has sparked debate on social media, with some critics questioning whether she should have been eligible to enter this year’s competition.
However, available information and a review of the pageant’s regulations indicate that no rules were violated in her participation or eventual victory.
Below is an opinion piece by former model Bren Mupa, who weighs in on the issue that has become one of the most talked-about aspects of the pageant. She also offers an analysis of the event, highlighting its strengths, shortcomings and areas that could be improved in future editions.
An interesting full circle moment . . . the woman who helped judge and select Lyshanda Moyas in 2025 has now been crowned her successor in 2026.
*No rules were broken in choosing the winner. Hear me out. By all means, I am not saying that the newly crowned Miss Universe is not beautiful, she is beautiful. Every contestant who walked on that stage is beautiful . . . I totally understand that beauty pageants are not judged on beauty alone; there are many factors that go into determining the winner.
The judges do not have an easy task in choosing the final winner, that one person who will represent the country.
I did not watch the preliminaries. I only got to see the finals on my timeline, and immediately I spotted Roseanna Hall. I remembered her from last year’s Miss Universe Zimbabwe competition. She was one of the judges, together with Connie Ferguson and others. She was responsible for helping choose the winner, Lyshanda Moyas, who went on to represent Zimbabwe at Miss World Universe in Thailand. Now, she has returned as a contestant.
Immediately, I realised how unfair this contest might have been for the other contestants. How do they compete against someone who had already sat on the judging panel? Someone who had previously been marking the score sheets for the competition? Is this not similar to writing an O-Level Mathematics examination with your Mathematics teacher? It certainly appears to give her an unfair advantage.
Although this may not be against the rules, it definitely raises questions. And those who have questions should be allowed to ask them.
According to the rules of the Miss Universe competition, a previous judge can enter the competition as long as they are not judging the same competition. For those mentioning the winner’s age, contestants only need to be 18 years or older, there is no upper age limit.
Married women, divorced women, mothers, and pregnant women are fully eligible to compete. Transgender women are allowed to compete.
Contestants must be citizens, hold a valid passport, or possess legal documentation allowing them to legally represent the country for which they are competing.
As for the presenters, I understand the need to spice things up by bringing in people from other countries, but it would be wise for us to also make use of our own talent. We have capable presenters who can hold that stage down. We also have many former models who have done exceptionally well on international stages, bring them back as MCs or model mentors.
The spraying of dollar bills was very tacky for such an event. The moment the winner was announced was her moment to shine, not to be overshadowed by someone spraying money on stage. I understand that excitement can make people do certain things, but this is where security should step in and remove any unauthorised people from the stage.
Such pageants come with a level of etiquette that should be strictly followed and respected.
Congratulations to the winners and the organisers. It’s never easy to put together an event of this magnitude, and credit must be given where it is due.
Londile Moyo