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Bongani Ndlovu, Showbiz Correspondent 

The Miss World Zimbabwe competition for this year has been cancelled due to the economic challenges.

This means that the country will not be sending a representative to the Miss World finals at the ExCeL Arena in London in December. 

Miss Zimbabwe Trust (MZT), the licence holders of Miss World Zimbabwe through MZT administrator Christine Matambo said: “Due to the economic hardships that the country is facing, Miss World Zimbabwe has been extended to next year. This is because we can’t be celebrating when people are crying and the queen is the people’s representative, so when the people are crying, she must be crying with them,” said Matambo. She said Miss World organisers have been informed that Zimbabwe will not send a representative this year.

Reigning Miss World Zimbabwe, Belinda Potts will thus continue with her reign and duties until next year. Around June this year Miss World Zimbabwe held auditions in Harare to choose models for the national competition. 

According to media reports the finals were supposed to be held on July 27. However, they were postponed to September, then now have been ‘‘extended’’ to next year. The ladies cast during the June auditions, Matambo said, were going to get first preference next year. “Those casted will receive priority next year. We shall consider that others will change their minds and not want to participate, but those who stay on will be prioritised,” said Matambo. The last time Miss World Zimbabwe was postponed was in 2016. 

During that year Zimbabwe, according to the Miss Zimbabwe Trust, had no beautiful girls fit to represent the country at the Miss World contest that year.