By Delicious Mathuthu
Gweru – Tadiwanashe Christine Manene has been crowned Miss Gweru 2024 after outclassing eight other title aspirants at the Gweru Cathedral Hall on Sunday morning (25/08/2024).
In an interview with this publication after her crowning, the 18-year-old beauty who is an awaiting student for the Zambian Cavendish University Social Work 2024 intake, was elated at her victory.
“I am excited, but it feels so unreal. The journey to Miss Gweru has not been easy. It was full of pressure, ups and downs while trying to make beautiful outfits with cheaper materials,” Manene said.
Michelle Mabeza (21), a second-year Human Resources Management student at Midlands State University (MSU), was crowned 1st Princess, while Nothabo Ncube (21), a fourth-year Public Management and Governance student, also at MSU, won the 2nd Princess title.
Manene walked away with a US$500 cash prize, Mabeza with US$300 and driving lessons, and Ncube with US$200 and driving lessons as well.
The new Miss Gweru, who was the youngest among the contestants, also won the Miss Avante-Grande title, while the 2nd Princess, Mabeza, also scooped the Miss People’s Choice title.
Other winners included Courtney Mpofu (19) who won the Miss Talent title, Ashley Silafe (21) Miss Personality and Wadzanai Gondo (23), Miss Super Model.
Miss Super Model, Talent, People’s Choice, and Miss Personality each received US$50 cash prizes.
All cash prizes were sponsored by Glow Petroleum and driving lessons sponsored by MID-Drive Driving School.
The annual pageant, which was set for Saturday, August 24, and spilled over to Sunday, is organized by Image Modelling Agency and saw nine contestants walking it out on stage this year, in different outfit categories including all-white dresses, self-designed dresses (Avante-Grande), swimwear, evening wear, as well as a talent show where the contestants revealed their artistic side in dance, singing, and other acts.
Manene dazzled the attending crowd with her condom dress in the Avante-Grande category.
She said the idea was to stress the need for young girls to be conscious of their sexual reproductive health and the need to fight against sexual abuse.
“I wanted to link my Avante-Grande dress (self-idea dress) and my mission statement, which is advocacy against sexual abuse.
“We know that when rape happens, most of the time, condoms are not used. Even in our consensual relationships, they don’t use condoms, so it was a message to say we need to protect ourselves; our health matters, and that’s what motivated my condom dress idea,” Manene said.
The black dress was made of cheap long fabric, laced with hanging layers of white and gold condom strips, with the bottom decorated with blown condoms to give it a flowery look.
Manene said she will use her title to partner with like-minded institutions and initiatives to fight sexual abuse.
“As an advocate against sexual abuse, I will try and collaborate with initiatives and organizations that support and empower survivors of sexual abuse.
“I want to create a culture of consent where everyone’s boundaries are respected, and perpetrators are held accountable,” she said.
This is not Manene’s first accolade, as she won the Miss Teen Super Globe Best Talent title in 2022.
The pageant’s 16th edition was also a tribute to the late 2010 Miss Gweru Queen, Tashana Heather Andrews, who passed away sometime this year. Andrews was Miss Gweru’s second edition Queen.
Guest of Honour at the event, Reward Shockson from the Arts Ministry in the Midlands Province, said the pageant was to celebrate society’s diverse cultures with unique stories, as winners become ambassadors and role models to other youths.
He said apart from celebrating beauty with brains, the pageant is a pinnacle of hope, resilience, and empowerment to young girls amid societal ills faced by young people in the country.
Image Modelling Agency founder, Mavis Koslek, said the Miss Gweru pageant is in its 16th year and aims to celebrate young women’s intelligence, confidence and beauty, and also make them ambassadors of Gweru in tourism.
Soulful singer Nyasha David was the guest musician for this year’s edition.
Known for his soulful voice, poetic lyrics, and innovative genre-bending style blending traditional Zimbabwean music with modern styles like R&B, jazz, and pop, Nyasha David endeared fans during the pageant, along with Royal Kengz dance group.
Glow Petroleum was one of the main sponsors, along with Milan Family Restaurant, Booties Pharmacies, MID-Drive, Mahogany TV, Mahein-Glam, Sip City, Royal Kengz, CN Photography Studio, Image Modelling Consultancy, and others.
Manene will become brand ambassador for Glow Petroleum 2024, runner-up princess brand ambassador for Mahogany TV, Lighting & Sound, and second runner-up princess ambassador for MID-Drive Driving School.
Miss Talent will become an ambassador for SipCity, Miss Super Model ambassador for CN Photography Studio, Miss Personality for Mahein Glam and Miss People’s Choice will become an ambassador for Pharsia 917.
