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Melissa Mpofu, Showbiz Editor
The recently held Miss Tourism Zimbabwe (MTZ) has been heaped with so much praise and will probably go down as one of the most organised events the country has witnessed this year.

The pageant is the talk of town simply because of its glamour and organisation which left other pageant organisers scratching their heads, especially at a time when sponsors are hard to come by.

While the country’s flagship pageant — Miss Zimbabwe was not held this year as organisers claimed there were no beautiful girls, MTZ organisers went all out and found not only beautiful contestants but intelligent ones.

All participants were required to produce A-Level certificates as a minimum requirement.

Another plus for the organisers is that they managed to lure the First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe who endorsed the event as guest of honour and went on to sponsor the winner’s prize of $20 000, a first for local pageantry. South Africa-based Gwanda businessman, Justice Maphosa who is the brains behind the successful Gwanda Gospel Festival, brought his expertise and bankrolled the event to make it world class.

These are just some of the reasons why the pageant was a success but like any other event, the pageant had its wow and nay moments which have been captured below.

Wow moments!!!

Red Carpet

These days, to give an event that special touch, one needs to roll out a red carpet for people to show off their clothing. This was the case at Miss Tourism where the pageant’s attendees where grilled by personalities — Tafadzwa Zimoyo and Cindy Munyavi. Having a red carpet also ensures that people don’t just turn up for the event, but prepare for it knowing the fashion police will be waiting for them.

Security

Pickpockets were given a good run for their money as there was more than enough security. This was a bonus as people could enjoy freely knowing they were secure.

Stage Effects

Undeniably, the stage is what made the show amazing. Put together by a team from South Africa, the stage effects (lighting) matched those of SA productions like Miss Teen South Africa giving the pageant that wow effect. Also, the MCs did not have to go on stage carrying papers as all they needed to do was read their script from the cameras above them, making those who watched the show on TV think the MCs were flawless.

Artistes performances and sound

Artistes, Dr Malinga, Busiswa, Ammara Brown and Thami staged worldclass performances, complementing the pageant which sought to match international standards. Their performances were timed, something more local events need to emulate as they did not bore people or make people confuse the pageant for a concert as their slots were short.

Contestants

The selection of contestants was spot on as people were spoilt for choice.

MCs

It was refreshing to see new faces — Tich Mawoni and Rebecca hosting the event, doing away with the likes of Tich Mataz.

Prizes

With prizes including a vehicle, scholarships for the top three contestants,  $20 000 for the queen and $10 000 for the first princess — the prizes were definitely enticing.

Show Organisation

By any standard, the event was well organised.

Nay moments!!

Reveller’s etiquette

Show attendees showed they had a long way to go in terms of grooming and etiquette as they failed to appreciate that the event was extraordinary and therefore required that people carry themselves in a certain kind of way. It was annoying having a person who will be sitting in the middle of a row constantly standing up, going back and forth, forcing everyone in that row to stand up and be disturbed during the show. It was important for people to appreciate that the show was as good as theatre productions so people needed to wait for breaks when commercial adverts would be shown for them to stand up and go about their business.

Crowning

There was confusion when the Queen was crowned as the MC announced the contestant number one had won. The lady who had been contestant number one  from the beginning of the night made her way to the front only to be told that it was contestant number one from the Top 8 as their numbers had been changed when they were trimmed down to eight. This could have been avoided had the MC announced the name as well.