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Emmanuel Ndlovu Showbiz Correspondent
THE Miss Rural Zimbabwe beauty pageant whose glory only exists in memory has become extinct due to lack of sponsorship. The pageant, which was exclusively for rural girls, was last held in 2007 and there are no signs that it may bounce back anytime soon. Sipho Ncube-Mazibuko, the brains behind the pageant, said she had tried several times to resuscitate the event to no success because of lack of adequate financial resources.

“Companies that were sponsoring us shut down and as such we could not continue with the pageant. I have tried to run around to source money from relevant organisations such as Culture Fund but they could not assist because they said the project is too expensive”.
Mazibuko, who is also the face behind the Miss Summer Strides, said organising the Miss Rural pageant would cost about $300,000.

“For us to host a successful Miss Rural Zimbabwe, we will need about $300,000 because it has to start at district level, up to the national finals,” she said.

Uncertainty and gloom still hover over the possibility of the pageant’s comeback because Mazibuko has over the years been silent in the modelling industry.

The former Miss Bulawayo was, however, quick to dispel such pessimism saying the event would resurface some day with a better look.
“I cannot say the future of Miss Rural-Zimbabwe is bleak because I am still working on bringing it back. It’s a lie that I have been silent in the industry because I still groom models and offer assistance to some pageants that have taken place in Bulawayo,” said Mazibuko.

Miss Rural Zimbabwe was founded in 2003 as Miss Rural and due to its unique appeal it broadened its scope to become a national event in 2006.

Although its aim was to celebrate rural life and uplift lives of the usually marginalised rural girls, the pageant was marred by a number of controversies and negative publicity. Activists accused the organisers of exploiting rural girls by teaching them bad morals as they were allowed to parade on the ramp half naked. They also said the pageant made young girls vulnerable to sexual abuse.