Miss Zim Trust tightens screws . . . Models to take oaths . . . Liars to be sued Annie Grace Mutambu
Annie Grace Mutambu

Annie Grace Mutambu

Melissa Mpofu Showbiz Editor
MODELS who will contest in this year’s Miss World Zimbabwe beauty pageant must prepare to take an oath holding a Bible, declaring that they do not have skeletons in their closets among other stringent requirements in the declaration form.

The contestants will be expected to take the oath upon arrival at boot camp next month.

“Instead of having the contestants signing declaration forms, we’re going to make sure they swear under oath as they’ll also serve as the country’s ambassadors. They’ll take oaths holding a Bible upon checking in for boot camp in Harare next month,” Miss Zimbabwe Trust spokesperson, Tendai Chirau, said.

This is one of the many efforts by pageant organisers – Miss Zimbabwe Trust – to ensure they crown a Queen with integrity. The Trust has for the past two years been marred by controversy after they crowned five Queens in two reigns following a series of dethronements mainly caused by the leaking of the models’ nude pictures.

The national pageant will be held on April 16 at the Borrowdale Brooke Golf Course with auditions for the most beautiful woman starting in Bulawayo on Friday.

Chirau yesterday advised aspiring contestants not to waste their time as there is no room for chancers.

“If you know you’ve a background that contravenes the rules stated by the Miss Zim Trust, please don’t come to the auditions. We’ve no space for chancers,” he said ahead of the Bulawayo auditions.

Among the rules of the competition: “winners of the Miss World Zimbabwe beauty pageant, whether a titleholder or a runner-up must not have posed nude professionally or socially in all forms of media. . . Being in a relationship, sexual advances towards anyone and any behaviour categorised as immoral by the Miss Zimbabwe Trust is grounds for instant disqualification and dethronement.”

Chirau said the Trust had always wished to crown a well disciplined Queen, but alas, they had been sold dummies.

“As a Trust, we strive to ensure that we’ve the best from scouting, but unfortunately there’re some models who aren’t honest. All we ask for this year is honesty and integrity from aspiring Queens,” he said.

To avoid falling into that trap, the Trust will be conducting thorough background checks on finalists who will take to the ramp in April.

In addition, the Trust will be suing models if they discover they are found not to have been truthful.

“We’ve added a clause in our declaration form which states that if we find out that a model lied to us, that person will be sued to pay us all the money we’d have used on her.

“We’re, however, aware that there’re party spoilers out there who thrive on mischief and want to tarnish the Miss Zim Trust reputation by setting up our selected Queen. We’ll be on the lookout for these people,” Chirau said.

The Miss World Zimbabwe contest has this year been dedicated to the Miss Zimbabwe Trust patron, Kiki Divaris, who died last year.

“The pageant is being held under the theme: ‘Celebrating the life of our icon Kiki Divaris’ as we want to celebrate the contribution our patron made to the modelling industry. Kiki was a woman who represented probity and gave her life to modelling.

“She groomed a lot of women including Angelina Musasiwa as well as our chairperson, Marry Chiwenga and we salute her,” Chirau said.

Auditions have been limited to the country’s two capitals – Bulawayo and Harare – with those outside those cities expected to travel to either to be auditioned.

“Judging by the response we had last year where some provinces didn’t attract a lot of models, we’ve decided to conduct auditions in these two cities only. Those outside will have to make arrangements to travel to Bulawayo or Harare.”

Bulawayo auditions will run from February 12 to 14 at the Rainbow Hotel while Harare auditions will be held from February 18 to 20 at the Trust’s offices.

The scouting team will be considering aspiring queens who in addition to having a clean record, are aged between 18 to 26 years, are at least 1,71m tall and slim, should be single and never been married or given birth and should be able to communicate well in English.

In order to cater for those in the diaspora, Zimbabweans residing outside the country can also participate by filling a form on the Trust’s website – www.misszimbabwe.org.

Those shortlisted will be expected to converge in Harare on March 15 where they will attend a month-long boot camp. Here, semi-finalists will be selected with others being sent packing. The semi-finalists will then compete for the Miss World Zimbabwe title. A sashing ceremony has been scheduled for April 1 with the final contestants being unveiled there.

Chirau said they were still finalising prizes for the winner as well as their deal with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority in which the 1st Princess will carry out duties as Carnival Queen in preparation for the Harare International Carnival which will be held later in the year.

Last year’s Miss World Zimbabwe winner drove away in a Kia Picanto and received $10,000 and another $10,000 meant for her Beauty with a Purpose project.

 

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