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Bongani Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
MISS Zimbabwe Cathrine Makaya is an intelligent petit beau who articulates herself well in front of people. At 19, she is the youngest model to have been crowned Miss Zimbabwe and has the shortest time frame in which to prepare for Miss World.
In an emotional re-run of Miss Zimbabwe 2014 on August 5, Makaya was crowned queen after the original winner Thabiso Phiri relinquished the crown on personal grounds.

Loving and caring with fervour to help children living with disabilities and sexually abused girls, the beauty has a strong will to succeed and the mental capacity to represent Zimbabwe well at the Miss World contest taking place in London in December.

Makaya is already a trendsetter because in her sporting career spanning four years, she has broken school, provincial and national records in track and field events — in 100m, 200m races and triple jump in feats that constantly got her trophies at Peterhouse School in Marondera.

Makaya broke the triple jump record for Zimbabwe, earning her several caps for representing the country including at the All-Africa Junior Championship Games of 2011.

As a leader she was the Junior Mayor for Marondera and won countless accolades at school, both on the academic and sporting level when she was at Peterhouse and Gateway High schools.

This week Makaya was in Bulawayo as part of her preparations for Miss World. With the help of Iyasa and Amakhosi Cultural Centre the model was taught traditional dances. She also visited various children’s homes and orphanages and spent time with them before donating foodstuffs and clothing.
Showbiz Reporter Bongani Ndlovu (BN) caught up with the beauty queen (CM) and spoke to her on various issues.

BN: Who is Cathrine Makaya?
CM: I’m the youngest girl in a family of four. I grew up in Harare and attended Peterhouse High School and Gateway.

BN: Who inspires you?
CM: I get my inspiration from my aunt Connie Makaya who was the first black woman to be crowned Miss Rhodesia. She’s the one who gave us the genes to model and the looks (laughs). My aunt was a person who was very influential during her time and I want to be like her.

BN: When did you start modelling?
CM: Miss Zimbabwe was the first pageant that I entered. I initially made it to the top eight before being crowned Miss Zimbabwe at the pageant’s re-run two months later.

BN: How has your reign been so far?
CM: Everything is hectic and I’m working on a tight schedule. I’m under pressure as I’m leaving the country on November 18 to join 100 other contestants for the Miss World boot camp in UK. By then I know I’ll be ready to represent the country.

I’ve been visiting various charities and working with children’s homes as part of my reign and I know I’m bringing the crown home.

BN: How are you preparing for Miss World?
CM: I’ve a strict programme each week that includes charity work, beauty therapy, dance lessons, meetings, grooming and etiquette lessons.

BN: What’s the greatest pressure that comes with being Miss Zimbabwe?
CM: There’re so many pressures which come with being a girl for a start. But it’s how I value myself that has kept me on top of my moral values, and will persist on certain stances.

Peer pressure as for many teenagers has had its bet on me, but I’d like to believe my name among my friends, family, and society has so far been intact.

BN: As Miss Zimbabwe what are the charitable causes you are pursuing?
CM: I was very touched when I read a story in a local newspaper about child sex workers in Epworth. The children are being taken into sex work because of poverty. This is my “Beauty with a Passion” project as Miss Zimbabwe and I hope to make a difference because I’m passionate about human rights. As a result I formed the Cathrine Makaya Foundation to empower the less privileged.

BN: Tell me more about the Cathrine Makaya Foundation.
CM: The foundation is for people who are less privileged especially the physically challenged and children. I want to use my crown to source funding for them for their education and welfare in the different place where they are cared for. I want to groom them into leaders of tomorrow.

BN: How was your visit to Bulawayo?
CM: The major aim of my visit to Bulawayo was actually for the dance lessons which I had with Iyasa. The guys are amazing, they gave me a present that

I’ll never forget. They taught me two wonderful dances that are dinhe and isitshikitsha.

I’ll present these two dances at the Miss World talent show. On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet business people at Deloitte Touche and they assured me of support throughout my journey to the finals of Miss World.

I also managed to meet school children at Hamilton, where I gave a motivational speech and it was an interesting experience. I was moved by the children that I saw at Precious Life Foundation as they’ve nothing in life, and are children who want to be given hope. I’m hoping that with the little that

I had, I managed to give them hope and a reason to wake up and face life.

BN: What is your favourite sport and why?
CM: I do many sports such as triple jump, relay and basketball. They’re all my favourite. I can run 100 metres in 12.21 seconds and 200 metres in 24.07 which are both personal bests. I keep fit and in shape when I play sport.

BN: What do you detest about the world you live in?
CM: Corruption. It exists at all levels and in all forms. It’s a hindrance to the progress of a community and a nation so the sooner we get rid of it the better for us.

BN: On the lighter side, what website could you not live without and why?
CM: Facebook, because it’s an all-in-one site. It updates me in terms of news, family and friends. It provides me with all I need to know about my ambassadorial duties.

BN: Who is your boyfriend?
CM: (Giggles) David Tinago.

BN: Favourite colour?
CM: Purple

BN: What is the best app you’ve used in the last year?
CM: WhatsApp.

BN: What item of makeup could you not live without?
CM: Eye Liner.

BN: What is your most memorable encounter in life?
CM: Meeting internationally acclaimed fashion designer Spero Villioti. He designed our Miss Zimbabwe evening wear and it was nice meeting a Zimbabwean designer who is internationally recognised.

BN: Favourite book?
CM: Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen.