Malaika, winning has become a part of her!

By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
There seems to be no end in accolades coming Malaika Mushandu’s way!

And winning has become a part of her.
The lanky model scooped three titles at the recently held Miss Zimbabwe pageant finals at the Harare International Conference Centre.

At 18, the ambitious model was picked as Miss Photogenic, Miss Top Model and Miss Zimbabwe, the most coveted title of the pageant.
However, according Malaika — which means angel in KiSwahili — there is more to her than just being a pretty face.

“I have learnt how to take full advantage of my height as well as my African looks,” she enthused.

Standing at 1,83 metres tall, the newly crowned Miss Zimbabwe is as ordinary as the girl next door but her height makes heads turn and makes her stand out from the rest.

But what is even startling about her successes as the 2011 queen of the catwalk, Malaika says it was never her intention to become a model.

Malaika was encouraged by Mercy Mushaninga, who runs Zim Gossip Models, to seriously consider modelling as a career.
“It was never my dream to become a model and I am the only girl in my family.

“I used to like what the boys (my brothers) liked. At one point I saw myself as a tomboy. Instead of watching Fashion TV or some feminine programmes I would stay glued on the screen watching football on Supersport,” she recalled.

But she reckons her greatest asset is her height.
“I realised that it is better to use what you have than to cry for what you don’t have. So when Mercy encouraged and made me realise what I could do with my height and African looks I decided to have a go at modelling,” she said.

“God gives you successes or riches because he sees the potential in you and giving back to the community is all I want to do.”

Malaika was groomed by Mercy, who made sure that she became the best model.

In 2009, Mercy through her agency hosted the Model Extravaganza modelling contest, which saw Malaika clinching the title. Although at one time, she opted to go to Namibia for her studies, which she never finished after getting contracts from local companies such as Spar, Truworths and Edgars where she models for casual wear apparel.
“I took part at the Burn launch as well as First Street Fashion Show in Harare,” she said.

Other titles up her sleeves include Miss Southern Africa (Zimbabwe) and Miss Diva Runway, which she won in Namibia last year.
Asked what went through her mind when she was announced as the winner at the Miss Zimbabwe, Malaika said she was overwhelmed.

“I felt excited and overwhelmed because this is the biggest title one can get in Zimbabwe. In fact, it just crossed my mind that the title comes with responsibility.

“I told myself that now I have all these titles how should I make them work for me,” she said.
She admits that she spends much of her time perfecting her catwalk skills.

“Honestly, I model a lot and I am always thinking about my next move as well as ways and methods to move forward,” she said.
She was born and bred in Harare.

She did her primary education at Groombridge and Marlborough before enrolling at St Dominic’s Chishawasha for her secondary education.

“During my early childhood I was living with my dad since my mom was working in the United Kingdom. I should say that I was raised by my father,” she said.

Before winning the Miss Zimbabwe crown, Malaika lifted the Miss Harare crown and used her prize to start a water and sanitation project in Epworth.

“I plan to expand the project to other parts of Harare and throughout the country so that people can have access to clean and sustainable water sources.

“Another project that I want to do during my reign as Miss Zimbabwe is to embark on environment awareness campaigns. I believe a clean environment is possible when everyone is involved. So I am going to engage all the people to desist from polluting the environment,” she said.

Like Munyaradzi Chidzonga of the Big Brother Africa fame, Malaika said she is inspired by President Mugabe.
“I know it has become a sort of cliché to say this but truly the President is my biggest inspiration. Just like Munyaradzi Chidzonga said about him that he has empowered a lot of black people and that no black man elsewhere is as powerful as a black Zimbabwean,” she said.

As to what lies ahead of her, Malaika is optimistic about the future saying the sky is no longer the limit.

“As a united people, Zimbabwe can rise higher because it is time to shoot for the stars and unite as one people. When I wake up everyday I am inspired by God and my weakness is that I don’t give up. I just do not know when to give up,” she said.

When it comes to food Malaika likes to eat traditional meals such as rice with peanut butter, chicken and trotters.
She enjoys all types of music as long as it carries a positive message.
“I like all the artistes because even if they say the same message they always put it differently,” she said.
As a parting shot, Malaika said Zimbabweans should “expect a queen who’s going to make an impact on society”!