Online Reporter
Zimpapers Arts & Entertainment Hub
SATURDAY, May 17, 2025 — The glitz, the glam, the heartbreak!
She came, she saw… and she stumbled. Nkayi’s own dazzling diva, Onesimo Nkomo, 22, looked destined to snatch the Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2025 crown. She had it all, brains, beauty, and a presence that turned heads at the Harare Hippodrome. But when crunch time came, fate hit back… hard.
It was the dreaded Q&A segment, that one moment where queens rise or fall. Guest judge and TV legend Connie Ferguson threw the curveball: What challenges do women face today and how can they be addressed?
Onesimo stepped up, poised and powerful. She began strong, tackling gender-based violence, maternal health, and the need for women empowerment. But just as she revved up for the kill, disaster struck, her tongue tied itself in knots trying to say “disrupt.”
Instead, Zimbabwe heard: “disrispact… disrisp…” a painful pause, a crack in her confidence.
The crowd rallied behind her. Applause erupted. Encouragement filled the room. Even host Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa gave her a gentle nudge to continue. But the moment was already lost. The speech unraveled. She handed back the mic — her smile trying to hide a storm of pain.
And when Lyshanda Moyas of Gweru was announced as the queen, Onesimo was named First Princess — a title that felt more like a consolation prize than a crown. Her face said it all. The heartbreak was raw. The defeat, undeniable.
For a woman who had walked in with fire, she left the stage with the quiet ache of what could have been.
But here’s the twist; while the crown landed on another head, the nation crowned Onesimo with something deeper: respect. In her vulnerable stumble, she became all of us, dreamers who’ve come close and watched it all slip away.
So yes, if dejected was a person that night, it had lashes, heels, and a sash. But it also had grace.
Backstage, sources say Onesimo broke down in tears, comforted by fellow contestants who praised her courage. One of them whispered: “You didn’t lose. You inspired.”
Social media lit up within minutes. Clips of her Q&A flooded TikTok and Instagram, not with mockery, but with love. #OnesimoStrong and #StillOurQueen trended by midnight. Celebrities, activists, and even former beauty queens praised her authenticity.
And maybe, just maybe, this stumble was the setup for a bigger stage.
Word in the pageant corridors? International pageants are watching.
Because while Zimbabwe crowned a queen, the world saw a warrior, one who may have lost a crown, but gained a country.
Watch this face, Zimbabwe. The queen without a title may just be writing her next chapter.
To Onesimo Nkomo, we say: Tiara or not, you reign!
