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The traditional Miss Zimbabwe pageant used to be the country’s sole glorious pageant and was even beamed live on the then sole television station ZBC TV One.
The event was very big, well organised and commanded a huge following across all sections of Zimbabwean society.
The live broadcast of the pageant was held annually at the Sheraton Hotel now known as the Rainbow Towers.
However, such was the in-thing in those days but the tides have turned. Beauty pageants are now being held more frequently and at times every month under different themes.
This shows how times have changed. Back in the days, modelling was blamed for moral and cultural decadence.
Some used to describe modelling as Western culture which was unAfrican but slowly and surely the modelling profession is being recognised not only in Zimbabwe but in Africa as a whole.
It is now difficult to keep up with the number of beauty pageants held say every month as the numbers continue to increase.
Talk of Miss Earth, Miss Global, Miss True African Queen (Matofotofo), Miss Tourism Deaf, Miss Disability, Miss Legs, Miss Curvy, Miss G-Tide, Mr Ugly, Miss Understigma, Miss Independence, the list goes on.
Ranging from district, provincial and national competitions, these pageants have given young aspiring models a chance to shine on the ramp but the question is for what, for how long? Who monitors these pageants? And so on.
However, in African society, modelling is viewed as a borrowed pastime.
As a matter of fact, the influx of modelling pageants has also grossly contributed to the loss of glamour usually associated with such events.
The pageants have been reduced to shows for making a quick buck at the expense of desperate young girls who are often purportedly swindled of the hard earned dollar.
Back in the day, those who qualified to participate in beauty pageants at different levels were held in high esteem but not any more.
Today’s modelling shows organisers use the pageants to raise money for themselves and not the models.
Models are easily swayed into believing that they would be given better opportunities once they take part in the beauty pageants.
The Miss Zimbabwe pageant is a clear example of how the modelling industry in the country has become so crippled.
If the Miss Zimbabwe pageant is struggling to stand on its feet after more than two decades of successive editions what can be said of these mushrooming pageants that are still in their infancy?
Miss Zimbabwe should be the shining example of how beauty pageants are held, organised and how models are treated.
The media has been awash with stories of ill treatment of models, organisers failing to award respective models their dues in time among other issues.
Does the country have a statutory board monitoring how models are treated, conditions and statutes regulating holding of beauty pageants?
Probably there are loopholes which have affected the modelling industry to grow into a professional industry where models can get full time jobs and opportunities to excel like in the neighbouring country South Africa.
What is the motive behind all these beauty pageants that are emerging day by day and what has happened to sponsors of late? Have they grown tired or are there issues behind neglecting beauty pageants?
Saturday Leisure spoke to the organiser of Miss Curvy pageant Mercy Mushaninga who said it was sad that there were people who just decided to host beauty pageants overnight and in the process duping innocent girls.
It’s sad that we have people who call themselves modelling instructors and decide to host pageants at random. We need experienced people to run pageants,” said Mushaninga.
The modelling instructor who is the director of Zim Gossips Modelling Agency said beauty pageants had lost the glitz and glamour due to lack of funding.
“Lack of funding has grossly affected the industry, but we are surviving with a few people who believe in us and we are managing.
I have done shows before and now I have started my preparations for the pageant to be held next month way back in January,” she said.
Mushaninga said models needed to be groomed to be professionals.
“Models need career guidance because not every model is good at catwalk and not every model is good at commercial modelling,” said the woman behind former Miss Zimbabwe Malaika Mushandu’s success story.
In an earlier interview Kiki Divaris said she was still at the helm of the Miss Zim Trust out of passion.
“There is nothing I am getting. It is just out of a passion that I am involved even at the age of 88 years,” said Divaris.
Sarah Mpofu of Fingers Modelling Agency bemoaned the lack of an association in the industry as the main contributor to the continued exploitation of young girls by beauty pageant organisers.
“Beauty pageants have always been mushrooming from back then, but they just fade away like mist and leave girls stranded and exploited.
“There was a time that ‘real’ players in the modelling industry decided to form an association that would stipulate rules and regulations of the industry but it was never put to practice,” said Mpofu who is the licence holder of the Miss Bulawayo pageant.
She said as long as there was no association that laid out rules for the industry then models would continue to be exploited.
She pointed out that lack of funding had hampered the growth of the industry.
“Lack of funding due to the economic meltdown that hit the country a few years ago also negatively affected the modelling industry because modelling is regarded as just entertainment so most sponsors tend to consider it last.
However, we have our faithful sponsors who have stood with us through thick and thin,” she said.
Online Reporter