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| Entertainment |
| Miss Southern Africa pageant shifted to TZ |
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by
Alex Newa, 17 October 2003
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14:37:51
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The 2003 Miss Southern Africa Beauty Pageant which was supposed to take place in the Angolan capital Luanda in two week’s time has been shifted to Tanzania and will take place in February next year.
Malawi’s contestant is Chimwemwe Gondwe, 20.
Ashley Shumba, Founder Chairman and Executive Producer of the Zimbabwe-based Talent Africa International said in an e-mail response to Nation Online that the reason for relocating the event is that most of the parents or guardians of the participating contestants could not guarantee the safety of the girls.
“They kept on raising extreme concern that they were very worried sending their children to a nation which once experienced one of the longest civil wars ever seen in Africa,” said Shumba.
He said they approached Tanzania for a venue and other necessary logistics and the responsible ministry asked for an extension of time.
“They asked for some time so as to put together the know-how-equipment and infrastructure needed to have the event of the magnitude that we all anticipate,” said Shumba.
The contest will now take place on February 28, 2004 in Dar es Salaam.
Local agents Frank Kalonde Media Productions said the fear about Angola resulted in only five countries, including Malawi, confirming participation while eight others did not. There are 13 countries which will take part in the Sadc pageant.
The change has frustrated both Frank Kalonde Media Productions and the local contestant Gondwe, according to Kalonde.
He said they had spent a lot of time and money preparing for the pageant, conducting rehearsals and collecting sponsorship from well-wishers.
“Some people supported us while we were waiting for others to help us, too. This is frustrating,” said Kalonde who assured that the event will not fail on February 25 in Tanzania.
However, Kalonde added that the shift in dates will give them sufficient time to perfect Gondwe’s catwalk steps.
This is the second time that the Miss Southern Africa Beauty Pageant has been postponed. Initially, it was supposed to take place on August 24 but it was later changed to October 31 to avoid clashing with the Sadc heads of state summit.
There is US$20,000 cash in prizes, a car, cell phone, beauty products, jewellery, hair products, holiday vouchers and clothes for winners.
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