adminSimbarashe Mutizwa Showbiz Reporter
WITH only three days left before the Miss Curvy pageant kicks off in the resort town of Kariba this weekend, organisers are disappointed with the response from the corporate world.Organiser and founder of the event – ZimGossip Models director Mercy “Catwalk” Mushaninga – said the pageant was a platform for corporates to advertise their companies but sadly they were not coming to the party.
However, Mushaninga said although there was not much support from the corporate world, the event, slated for Saturday at the Caribbea Bay Hotel and Resort, would certainly take place.
“It is very disappointing as corporates are not joining forces with us in making the pageant possible. We were hoping they could come on board to support the pageant since we are trying to put our tourism industry on the map.
“This pageant is taking place in the resort town of Kariba where all the tourism activities are taking place. I don’t see the reason why the tourism players are not coming in to advertise their companies at the same time supporting us in making this a success,” she said.
Mushaninga paid tribute to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) for its support.
“I am thankful to the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority for supporting us this far, we have activities that we are going to be having courtesy of ZTA,” she said.
The pageant, which is running under the theme “Supporting Domestic Tourism through Beauty Pageants,” will see 18 naturally curvy women from different parts of the country, including two from Bulawayo, taking to the ramp.
Mushaninga said the 18 arrived in Kariba yesterday for their boot camp at the Simboti Holiday Homes. The camp will run until Friday.
“We are having a workshop with ZTA which is going to be facilitated by Sugar Chagonda and then a dinner with the MP for Kariba.
“The following day we are having a clean-up campaign and pre-party of the pageant on the same day. We are also expecting to reach out to the community as The Curvys are going to donate to an orphanage in Nyamhunga and a day after that we are having the grand finale,” said Mushaninga.
She said the pageant had also invited a model and consultant from the United Kingdom who is expected to mentor the finalists ahead of the finals.
“We are going to give educative lectures to them. We have engaged Gloria aka Glo Diamond from the United Kingdom. She is going to be mentoring the girls. She is also going to be co-ordinating a workshop,” said Mushaninga.
derick.khumalo