A few weeks ago, things looked like they were falling apart for Bongani. She had not yet received her prizes and her trip to the Miss World pageant was uncertain.
Now, it’s all coming together after she received her prizes on Wednesday last week, and she excitedly told Zimbo Jam, “I am now making my final preparations, as I leave for Miss World next week.”
Bongani received US$10 000 from Ministry of Tourism. From Edgars she received a wardrobe hamper and is set to take over her predecessor Malaika Mushandu, as the face of their working woman brand, Kelso Career.
She also got gifts from Spar and from the Greek Community. Throughout her reign she will receive beauty products from Mary K Cosmetics , a subscription at Body Active Gym and hair care products from Outre.
Also honoured at the awards ceremony which was held at Miss Zimbabwe Trust patron, Kiki Divaris’s house in Alexandra Park, Harare, where the runners up in the pageant.
Courtesy of the Ministry of Tourism, First Princess Petina Nhamburo (22), received US$5 000, Second Princess, Ruvimbo Katiyo (24), US$3 000, and Miss Personality Plaxedes Gororo (22), US$2 000.
She said that she was running an awareness campaign for cervical cancer as her beauty with a purpose project. “I realised that there was a great need for women to know more about this cancer,” she said, “since if it is detected early it can be dealt with. But once it’s in the third stage it’s often too late to do anything.”
Cervical cancer, spread by the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is fast becoming one of the most prevalent cancers in Zimbabwe.
All the contestants for Miss World need to have a beauty with a purpose project where they are doing something to positively impact their community.
When the Miss Zimbabwe pageant was held in April, there was no talk of prizes at all as the organisers, the Miss Zimbabwe Trust, focussed their attention on just getting the pageant off the ground.
They did not receive the expected support from the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) and found themselves struggling to get the resources needed to put the pageant together, leading to a number of postponements of the event. This was after the ZTA handed back the organising of the national pageant to the Trust, following a five year stint.
The ZTA organised the national pageant, initially under the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe brand, from 2005 till 2010 and then as Miss Zimbabwe in 2011.
