New Black Opal queen unveiled
HARARE beauty, Chiyedza Chinake, was on Saturday night crowned the new Miss Black Opal Face of Zimbabwe (Bofoz) during the prestigious pageant’s finals held at Zimbali Gardens in the capital.
Chinake outshone 11 other beauty queens to lay hold of the prestigious crown.
Hillary Mandibaya and Munesu Munawa were crowned first and second princess respectively.
The new Bofoz queen walked away $5 000 richer, with a supply of Black Opal skin care and make-up products, while the first princess and second princesses clinched $2 000 and $1 000 respectively.
A holder of Social Work (Honours) degree from the University of Zimbabwe and a research assistant, Chinake had been confident that she would win.
“This is not my first time doing pageants. I won a lot of them at high school, so I was confident with myself, although the journey was a bit stressful and difficult,” she said.
Bofoz international marketing director Deshan Naidu, who was also one of the judges, said they were happy with the winning choice.
“The quality was very difficult to describe, but some girls had what it takes and I think we made the right decisions,” he said.
Although the event failed to attract a lot of people, Naidu said they were happy with the response from the audience.
He said the change of environment for this year’s event brought a new feel into their brand.
“I think last year, we had a lot of energy and a lot of artistes and it was good for that time, but as we constantly grow and evolve, we want to raise the bar a little bit and I think being here is an intimate feel and very nice,” he said.
The pageant is also open to married and fuller women, as focus is just on the face and knowledge of Black Opal products.
BY PRECIOUS CHIDA
