Zanu PF turns beauty contest into a rally

Statement from the MDC Information & Publicity Department 

At last, Zanu PF’s desperation is written all over the faces of its senior officials and dwindling supporters. Having lost the faith, trust and confidence of all Zimbabweans  – in particular  the two generations of youths who lost a basic foundation in life due to Robert Mugabe’s dictatorship, tyranny and policy confusion, Zanu PF is trying anything under the sun to salvage its collapsed political fortunes.

In a normal society, a beauty pageant is purely a social event for young girls and young adults. Not so, in Zanu PF’s eyes! On Sunday, the youngsters were surprised to find the catwalk event invaded by high-ranking soldiers in uniform, Zanu PF politicians and senior security officials – all vying to honour them at the annual Miss Tourism Zimbabwe beauty pageant.

The whole show resembled a forced Zanu PF rally on the unfortunate beauty contestants as the fading politicians and securocrats scrambled around for handshakes with the winners. After braving a night surrounded by wrinkled-faced and sun-beaten Zanu PF politicians, many as old their great-grandfathers, Malaika Mushandu, 18, of Harare sauntered to the stage for her crown and title of Miss Zimbabwe in the early hours of Sunday. 

Malaika will represent Zimbabwe at the Miss Tourism International contest later this year. As if the horror of the occasion was not enough, Malaika and 33 others were exhorted to howl Zanu PF messages and a tired propaganda line before taking the spritely frames to ramp. Under the theme; “Promoting Peace through Tourism”, the ceremony took place against the backdrop of an orgy of Zanu PF violence against the people, especially in Harare and in the rural areas.

The leading Zanu PF functionary conducting the show was none other Philip Chiyangwa, Mugabe’s nephew and a man embroiled in a major land scandal involving Zanu PF politburo member and the corrupt Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo.  Chiyangwa caused chaos when he quizzed them on Zanu PF’s so-called patriotic history.

Each time a hopeful tried to answer a question; he reacted with rage after it became clear that the girls appeared, not only confused, but thoroughly flabbergasted. They knew nothing about what Chiyangwa was talking about, as it out of the traditional form and practice of beauty pageantry.

For example, the 33 girls had absolutely no idea about the structure of Zimbabwe’s defence forces; or the names of five ex-combatants who kick-started the war of liberation. They were further humiliated with another question needing them to identify the first commander of Zimbabwe’s guerrilla force in the 1970s. Malaika and her friends were born more than 20 years later.

“You should know the country’s politics!” bellowed Chiyangwa to a totally embarrassed bevy of young beauties. “Our leader is Robert Gabriel Mugabe and you should like him and his administration and pay attention to his gatherings. If you want to be our queen, play ball with us,” he said.

Seated on the VIP podium were: Security Minister Sydyney Sekeramayi,Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere, Tourism Minister Walter Mzembi and members of the top military brass. Under normal circumstances, beauty queens are crowned by others of their ilk. On this occasion, there were eight queens from other African countries but they were totally overwhelmed by the jostling of Zanu PF politicians and military officers keen to steal the show.

Older Zimbabweans will recall that Zanu PF and Mugabe banned the Miss Zimbabwe pageant in 1981, saying this was against our African tradition and the party’s socialist dream. At the time, Joice Mujuru was the Minister of Women’s Affairs. It was later resuscitated due to popular pressure, but Zanu PF continued to frown at the contests.

Older Zimbabweans will further recall that in October 1983, close to 6 000 women and girls were rounded up in most urban areas under what the then Security Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa code-named Operation Chinyavada.

The women, some coming out of night shift work in hospitals and hotels and others merely on legitimate chores, were shepherded to Mushumbi Pools and other hot parts of the Zambezi Valley for a so-called re-education exercise. The operation was conducted in military style, involving the same military officers at Sunday’s event, and saw thousands incarcerated at Chikurubi after being caught in the senseless dragnet.

The 1983 assault on women led the birth of the Women’s Action Group (WAG) and other civil society organisations representing women after it became clear that the Women’s Affairs ministry was a mere window-dressing measure.

Included in those who were arrested were officials from that same ministry and Joice Mujuru emerged totally spineless to help them. Of late Zanu PF has changed its focus and wants to use the Miss Zimbabwe pageant to spruce up Zimbabwe’s image, battered by the same party which threw the country into a pariah status because of Mugabe’s total disregard for the sanctity of life and human rights.

Many upwardly mobile youths, politically clear and nimble-footed young men and women could be seen leaving the venue after Zanu PF surrounded the beauty contestants and usurping the occasion without shame.

Together, united, winning, ready for real change!!

MDC Information & Publicity Department