Miss Environment Zim finals set for Kariba

Langalakhe Mabena

IT’S that time of the year again when beauty and brains come together to celebrate and promote environmental awareness.

The Waterfront Resort in Kariba will be the stage where 18 stunning ladies compete for the Miss Environment Zimbabwe title on Saturday.

Judges will have the unenviable task of selecting just one winner from the bevy of beauties who will grace the ramp. These are Pauline Marere (Mashonaland West), Wendy Maturi (Mashonaland East), Natasha Masunda (Marondera), Marvelous Ganje (Chiredzi), Courtney Jongwe (Manicaland), Grace Masvavike (Midlands), Sicebi Moyo, Harriet Majoni, Mellissa Sibanda, Sibongile Moyo, (Bulawayo), Itumeleng Nare (Gwanda), Scholastic Makoni (Gweru), Mitchel Simeon, Zvashe Maponga, Lindsay Nyabereka, Eldah Wadzanayi Chitate, Trish Pfende, and Chantel Kanyoka (Harare).

The lady who will be crowned queen will not only have the bragging rights of being the most beautiful woman on the night but will also have the opportunity to drive away in a brand-new car and receive a cash prize of US$5 000.

However, the stakes are even higher for the winner as she will be the sole representative of Zimbabwe on the international stage later this year. This will be a rare opportunity to showcase her country’s beauty, culture, and environmental efforts.

The national director of Miss Environment Zimbabwe, Nigel Shamu, who will also contest for the Kariba Parliamentary seat in the upcoming harmonised elections representing Zanu-PF expressed excitement about the forthcoming event.

He said the pageant’s semi-finals were hosted in Bulawayo and attracted 60 models from all over Zimbabwe. The finalists were then put through their paces, engaging in exercises and tasks that raised awareness about environmental issues in their communities.

The contestants also underwent a rigorous boot camp to ensure they were mentally and physically prepared for the finals. With everything set in motion, Shamu promised a well-choreographed display on the eve of the finals.

“Initially, the pageant’s grand finale was supposed to take place in Harare in March, but we decided to move the date to May 13 as we planned to host a tourism attraction event in Kariba. “This is not just a pageant. Through the Miss Environment Zimbabwe finals, we’re aiming at raising environmental awareness among the locals and encourage them to preserve their land as well as animals, as they have the capacity to transform Kariba into a tourism hospitality hub,” said Shamu.

After the crowning of the queen, the festivities will move on to Lake Harvest where an after-party featuring Jah Master, Poptain, DJ Sir Rolex and Elbee will be held.

Commenting on the event, Poptain said: “It’s great to be performing in Kariba again after a long time. I promise good music and fireworks to those who will be in attendance.”