Siphakeme .Mnindwa
Sipepisiwe Moyo, moyosipepisiwe@gmail.com
THE nationwide search for Mr and Miss Rural Zimbabwe continues its inclusive journey, ensuring every child and province has an equal opportunity to shine.
Following the successful Matabeleland South provincial finals, the spotlight now shifts to Matabeleland North, where the provincial semi-finals are set to take place in Tsholotsho.
The provincial finals will be held in Lupane at the end of February, promising an exciting display of talent, culture, and rural charm.
This development comes on the heels of Matabeleland South’s provincial finals, which crowned Yolanda Nkomo as Miss Rural and Privilege Sibanda as Mr Rural.
According to Sipho Mazibuko, founder of the pageant, the auditions for Matabeleland North province have been successfully completed, paving the way for the next stage of the competition.
“We are done auditioning those willing to participate in the pageant. The pageant is open to all aged between 18 and 25 who have been based in rural areas since birth. All participants must have at least five O-level subjects or more, have never been married, and have no children. We managed to get 46 models, three of whom are boys. We also realised that the number of models we have is overwhelming, so instead of having a final, we will first have a semi-final to ensure a fair contest.
“We are grateful to the provincial heads from the Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, Ministry of Women Affairs, Tourism, and all the DDAs who helped with the auditioning. We are, however, going to continue auditioning boys as we want to have a proportional number since we only have three who are all from Nkayi,” said Mazibuko.
She said she is working with the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, the Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training, and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which are actively involved in searching for the right contestants.
“We started our search last year and we are now ready to roll. The office of the Matabeleland North Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ministry will be assisting with coming up with the budget for the show by engaging miners and other sectors as we push the pageant.
“We are also incorporating a designer who will make attires out of grass. We are going to showcase the rich culture of Matabeleland North and focus on the Tonga culture. We are also excited that the chief of the San people has agreed to see me so that we get representatives from that tribe too,” she said.
The pageant will also serve as a platform to empower local artistes, as various artistes from Matabeleland North are set to perform during the finals and at the musical gala after-party. These include Sea Girl, Skhumz Moonwalker, and ZheZhington.
They will also be joined by some artists from Matabeleland South. Mazibuko is also considering inviting Harare artiste Killer T to perform on the day.beleland South. Mazibuko is also considering inviting Harare artiste Killer T to perform on the day.
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