adminMelissa Mpofu Showbiz Editor
ORGANISERS of Miss Zimbabwe, the Miss Zimbabwe Trust have scrapped provincial pageants saying that they were sub-standard because of lack of funding. The provincial beauty contests such as Miss Bulawayo were held annually to select a queen and two princesses who would go on to represent their respective provinces at the national Miss Zimbabwe contest.
Miss Zimbabwe Trust patron Mary Mubaiwa-Chiwenga yesterday said next year’s selection of Miss Zimbabwe contestants would be done differently as they will use the casting system.
“We won’t be having provincial shows to select the girls, but will instead use a casting system. We realised that some of the provincial pageants held by licence holders were substandard as they did not have proper funding. In the end some of the pageants were held in a way we did not want them to be held,” said Mubaiwa-Chiwenga.
She added that they were going to advertise in the Press inviting those intending to contest for Miss Zimbabwe next year.
“The Miss Zimbabwe Trust with the assistance of provincial licence holders will select girls from every province. Our first initial selection strategy will be based on the models appearance. This will allow us to be able to groom the ladies in professional modelling,” she said.
Mubaiwa-Chiwenga said the Miss Zimbabwe organisers were scouting for new licence holders with the capacity to co-ordinate the regional castings.
Asked what would happen to former licence holders such as Miss Bulawayo holder Sarah Mpofu and Gweru holder Mavis Korslek, Mubaiwa-Chiwenga said they were allowed to approach the Miss Zimbabwe Trust for consideration.
“We will soon put adverts in the Press looking for new licence holders. Former licence holders are free to get in touch with us for consideration. If they have the capacity then we will definitely take them on board,” she said.
She also stated that next year’s pageant will once again be a strictly by invite pageant.
“Next year’s event will definitely be the same as this year’s but the difference will be that there will be more people and it will be bigger. It will be a black tie event,” she said.
Asked about the Miss Zimbabwe 2014 prize giving ceremony, Mubaiwa-Chiwenga said it would be held on Friday with the winners expected to receive cash prizes and a driver to drive them in their Chevrolets as they do not have licences.
“Unfortunately, the girls don’t have licences yet so they will have to work on getting their licences first before we give them their vehicles. We will give them a driver though who will drive them around for now,” she said.
Mpofu declined to comment on the scrapping of the provincial pageants.
Sipho Mazibuko, a Bulawayo-based modelling guru said she was against Mubaiwa-Chiwenga’s decision to scrap provincial pageants saying it would take out the fun from the Miss Zimbabwe pageant.
“Not having provincial modelling shows takes the fun out of the pageant. It leaves out the people as people want to witness the crowning of their provincial queen, so I think it’s not a good move,” she said.
She also pointed out that this year’s Miss Zimbabwe organisers overcharged the event which was meant to be one for the people.
“I must say this year’s Miss Zimbabwe was a beautiful show but the $300 ticket to enter was a bit overboard.
“It is a family show where relatives and friends of the girls contesting should come to support them in their numbers.
“I strongly doubt that the mothers of the contestants attended the show as it was too expensive for the ordinary Zimbabwean,” she said.
Online Reporter