Miss and Mr Rural Zimbabwe national finals set for...

Miss and Mr Rural Zimbabwe national finals set for May

Munyaradzi Doma

Miss and Mr Rural Zimbabwe is back and Sipho Mazibuko founder of the pageant has promised a powerful return when the national finals are held in May.

The national finals had initially been set for last year but Mazibuko said they had decided to go back to the drawing board and plan on incorporating Trademark Holders who will help to make the pageant bigger and better.

Speaking from her Bulawayo base, Mazibuko revealed that national finals for the pageant will be held at the end of May at a yet to be identified venue.

"Our plans were to have the national finals last year after a long break but we realised we had to work with trademark holders.

"Already I have licence holders for the 10 Provinces but they will be working under the trademark holders which are those people who will be campaigning, the constituency holders, the MPs.

"We need to make this big hence we have incorporated trademark holders," said Mazibuko.

She added, "I wasn't particularly silent, I was planning and plotting my return, I want a powerful return, I want a return that will leave this country shaking in its core.

"I want a return which will be spoken by everyone so I had to get back to the drawing board after securing my provincial licence holders for the 10 Provinces.

"I have been working and now its bearing fruit because everyone that I'm approaching wants to buy my trademarks.

"They are my trademarks, I registered them some 15 years ago to protect my baby which was Miss Rural, now there is Mr Rural also registered, also Mr and Miss Urban also registered."

Mazibuko revealed that the return of the pageant had evolved to become gender sensitive by adding Mr Rural Zimbabwe.

"Miss and Mr Rural Zimbabwe is a platform created with the prime purpose to protect, preserve and encourage the Zimbabwean rural girl and boy against negative dimensions of modernism," she said.

Mazibuko added that through the pageant they also aim at uplifting and preserving the country's culture, language and also to market Zimbabwe as a tourist destination.

To avoid pressure which comes with pageants, Mazibuko said she is working with a team which will see provinces having different licence holders.

Mazibuko says they want a wholly Zimbabwean pageant hence the dresses, the hair styles and the crown, will all be wholly locally made.

"The pageant empasises on natural beauty hair (no weaves), models to use their own languages, no high heels and clothing gowns from African designers.

"Awards for the winning contestants will include crowns, titles and crash prizes.

"This beauty pageant is decent with no swim suit appearance in any of the categories and is designed to offer the highest standards of integrity," added Mazibuko.