Online Reporter
Jobert Zulu
THE Miss HOST AFRICA, a pageant organised by HOST Africa Casino Academy at the Rainbow Towers in Harare, Regency Casino has been mired in controversy after multiple allegations of exploitation of female models and entertainers surfaced.
Models and entertainers who participated in the recent and past events claim they were lured with promises of cash prizes and proper facilities, only to be left stranded and vulnerable.
Kelly Nxumalo, a hostess from Bulawayo, recounted her ordeal.
“We got there and the organiser was nowhere to be found. When he came back, he made excuses about the hotel being fully booked. We agreed to work, but he disappeared the next morning and switched off his phone. He has not made any effective communication or apologised for what he put us through,” she said.
Together with other five hostesses, they were left stranded in a storeroom at Regency Casino, with inadequate bathroom facilities and no privacy.
“Male casino employees walked in and out of the room as we slept. Some patrons even offered to pay us what the academy owed us in exchange for sexual favours,” Kelly alleged.
Although there was no communication between the hostesses and HOST Africa academy after the event night, Victor Gwekwerere the founder of HOST Africa Academy and the organiser of the pageant claims he was confronted with threats by the hostesses.
“The online booking for the return trip didn’t complete, and before we could make alternative arrangements, they again chose threats and confrontation,” he said.
Aukendis Chamutinya, a 2024 pageant runner-up, claimed Gwekwerere has a history of dodging payments.
“He told us we’d get our prizes the following week, but he started ignoring our calls. He’s done it again this year, hosting another pageant without paying us,” she said.
Catherine Wayah, another 2024 participant, echoed similar sentiments.
“They delayed giving us food, and when they did, it was stale samoosas and water. We’re contestants, not beggars,” she said.
Gwekwerere again attributed the issues to “threats and confrontation” from participants, claiming breaches of contract.
“Our corporate policy is to disengage until sanity prevails,” he said.
Gwekwerere said he came up with the idea of blending the academy graduation with the pageant as a marketing and entertainment strategy and he did it for girl child empowerment.
However, the academy’s girl child empowerment mantra is left questionable as the controversy exposes exploitation of young girls.
derick.khumalo