The Sunday Mail
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) intends to make the Carnival Queen pageant more prestigious than the now defunct Miss Zimbabwe.
In fact, the ZTA chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke says he wants to emulate the Nigerian way of pageantry, where the Carnival Queen in that country is more important than Miss Nigeria.
Tonight, the Harare International Carnival roars into life with the crowning of the Carnival Queen at the Harare International Conference Centre (HICC). The queen is expected to lead the 10-day event as its face and voice.
“Miss Zimbabwe is dead to us, but we do not seek to replace it with our own model, no. We just want to make our queen the most important one,” he said.
The ZTA boss says he plans to make the Carnival Queen or Miss Carnival the envy of every model in the country and the cash prize and the accompanying goodies will increase with each edition of the carnival.
“For now our queen will get US$20 000, a car, 3 500 litres of fuel and other smaller things. We want to improve this next year because in other countries the queen gets US$50 000. It’s just because we do not have sponsors for now, but we will get there,” said the ZTA boss.
He added: “In other countries they have a carnival king and they also run a junior carnival – we will also get there, it’s just a matter of time.”
With the reigning Miss Zimbabwe queen, Bongani Dlakama, who has been queen for over two years now and has openly declared that she is tired, Kaseke’s plan may just work.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail Leisure, Dlakama, who has a full-time job and is studying towards a degree in Development Studies with the Midlands State University, admitted that she has little time for her Miss Zimbabwe duties.
The beauty, who after winning the title had to use her own money to travel to China for the Miss World pageant in 2012, says she is just a title holder.
“I am not active anymore – I am just waiting for the next girl to come along so that I can hand over the crown,” said Dlakama.
She said that she believes the pageant is quite prestigious but has not found capable people to run it. “No one who is up to the task has come along for the Miss Zimbabwe pageant and if we are not careful, it will just die,” she said.
Could Dlakama be the last Miss Zimbabwe?
Brazilians, Bev share stage
After a false start that saw Zimbabweans waiting in vain for the raunchy Brazilian dancers last year, it seems like the revered waist-wriggling South Americans will finally land on the Zimbabwean soil on Tuesday, May 20.
There was talk that the ZTA could have misled the nation last year and Kaseke says he eagerly awaits their arrival this year.
The event, dubbed “Samba Night”, takes place at the exquisite Airport Lounge, where Beverly “Bev” Sibanda and Sexy Angels will be exchanging notes with their Brazilian counterparts.
“It is unfortunate that some people have their misgivings about Beverley — but how can we ‘Celebrate our Diversity’ if Beverly is not there?”
Kaseke said Beverly was more than welcome to the carnival. “I saw people fighting each other to catch a glimpse of Beverly and her girls last year. We had to call in extra security, but then you hear these mumblings that Beverly is not good for the carnival and you ask: are these people sincere?
“I will personally be at the Airport Lounge on Friday May 23; I want to see all those girls dance. We need to all come together and be happy, that’s what this is all about,” he said.
Public drinking, Nudity at Carnival?
While carnival-goers elsewhere, especially in Jamaica and Brazil, get naked on the streets during their carnivals, ZTA strongman Karikoga Kaseke has declared that there will not be nudity at the Harare International Carnival.
“We want Zimbabweans to learn from these people who have the experience. These people, our visitors, will teach us how happiness is defined. We are celebrating what we are as a people. We are diverse and must allow people to celebrate their diversity, but we will celebrate that diversity within the confines of our culture,” said Kaseke.
He added: “In their countries they get naked, but we will not allow that. Our culture is the guiding principle; we do not want to be happy outside our culture.”
However, he also confirmed that the ZTA has secured permission from the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Harare City Council to allow the expected multitudes to engage in “public drinking” during the course of the street party.
“Last year we had a street procession, but this year we are having a street party. We expect people to be partying. That is why we have secured permission from the police and the city council. That is how carnivals are done. There will be food points and places selling all sorts of beverages along the carnival street party route.”
Carnival now a national event
The carnival, whose status has this year been elevated to a national event, has been allocated US$200 000 by the Government and Kaseke hopes that as the economy picks up, the allocation can go up to US$1 million.
“If the Government had the resources they could have given us the US$700 000 that we requested, but things are tight. We understand that they have tried and we appreciate the gesture,” said Kaseke.
The ZTA boss had the kindest words for his principal, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Walter Mzembi.
“Our minister is fully behind us, he seems to be more interested in the carnival than all of us. It is the happiness that the carnival brings that drives our minister. He took this matter to Cabinet and the carnival was adopted – and we are on course to achieving Gross National Happiness,” he said.
Kaseke said with the carnival culture being new to Zimbabwe it was important to move with the people.
“Now that this event is recognised as a national event, we will slowly prepare our people mentally because the people have to accept this concept first so that it becomes a success.
“We also want the people to know that we are a friendly country, that we have friends and that the carnival unites us all.”
“All local affair” at Carnival’s closing event
Formerly known as the Carnival Music Concert, the show has been renamed Tourism Night, and it is likely to feature an all-local line-up.
With Oliver Mtukudzi performing at the welcome reception, he is unlikely to feature at the closing show where names like Jah Prayzah, Winky D, Suluman Chimbetu, among many other local acts, are being thrown around.
The show takes place at the HICC.
Kaseke’s fears and hopes
“Will the people come?” That is what worries the ZTA boss — he worries that his team can do all the preparations, but if the people do not come — it would be a disaster.
“But they will come,” he says, “last year they actually surprised us. We were not expecting those crowds but they came. As the organisers we remain anxious, but this year is likely to be much better.”
His vision for the carnival is to achieve “100 percent Gross National Happiness” — a state where the carnival will unite all Zimbabweans and visiting foreign nationals not in sorrow but joy.
“We see this carnival having a serious impact on the economy. But for now it has to rake in at least US$300 million and by the time everyone is hooked, from costume designers to manufacturers of music equipment and other service providers, we should be able to rake in more than a billion dollars.”
