I’ve been following the turbulent tale of Miss Zimbabwe 2014. First, we had Miss Thabiso Phiri, who abdicated the troubled throne for unknown reasons. The media claimed that nudes of the said beauty queen leaked but the way the internet is set up ka, we would have seen them the moment she clicked the ‘capture’ button. And then, Cathrine Makaya stepped in to flog the already dead donkey. She did well, for a while. I had the pleasure of meeting her while she was in the City of Kings (Bulawayo.) She was learning to dance with the IYASA group for the talent section of the Miss World finals. And then, she made the headlines for ‘snubbing’ the organisers that placed the crown on her head. When they say the truth shall set you free, they ain’t kidding. The truth set Makaya free from the crown less than a week before the finals’ bootcamp.
I think the above article is what done her in. Am I saying she should have suffered in silence? By all means! The mal-administration by the organisers was not a life threatening disadvantage. Most of the previous pageant holders will tell you of their horrific experiences but we all know that you can’t burn the bridge you are still standing on. Go through your reign, learn your lessons from it, let iron sharpen iron, persevere and then after your reign look back in retrospect and address the injustices that you endured.
Nobody likes bad press, not just pageants. Advertisers that endorse you as their brand ambassador need to know that you can weather the storm without causing unnecessary alarm and despondency. Being a public figure requires you to be like a first lady. No matter the scandal going on with your husband in the press, you will come out standing next to him, smiling and pretending everything is okay. Keep the squabbles behind closed doors.
Anyway, so Tendai Hunda was sent to represent us instead of the ‘whistleblower’ Makaya. This was also a detrimental move for us as a country. The organisers must have taken that insulting article to the chin and dealt with the prodigal queen upon her return. Does no one know how to save face anymore?
A house divided against itself will not stand. Miss Zimbabwe didn’t make it past the quarter finals. But, Miss South Africa is now Miss World. Once again, Zimbabwe is the bridesmaid and not the bride.
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