HARARE - Regional castings for the Miss Carnival pageant that will take place in Harare on May 16 will begin tomorrow in Mutare and Gweru at the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) Offices.
The Carnival Queen Zimbabwe team will then conduct castings in Masvingo and Bulawayo on March 23 before holding auditions in the border towns of Beitbridge and Victoria Falls two days later.
Sugar Chagonda, the ZTA spokesperson, says the beginning of the regional castings means that the search for Miss Carnival Dananai Chipunza’s successor is now on in earnest.
“The castings will also take place in Chinhoyi and Bindura on March 29 before being concluded in Harare on April 5,” said Chagonda.
“Miss Carnival pageant will run under the theme celebrating the beauty of our diversity which is in support of the 2014 Carnival theme “Celebrating our Diversity.”
Several attractive prizes will be on offer, including a brand new car, cash prizes and several opportunities that will impact positively on the lives of young people in Zimbabwe and beyond.
According to Chagonda, whoever wins Miss Carnival on May 16 will automatically become the tourism ambassador for Zimbabwe and will represent the country on the international stage.
The new Miss Carnival‘s first duty upon assuming office will be leading the Harare International Carnival Street Party on May 24.
The ZTA is keen to unearth a carnival queen with both beauty and brains.
“We are calling upon intelligent, top models of character to participate in the auditions. The Carnival Queen is not just another pageant but it is a platform for selecting talent and beauty that will represent the country not only as a tourism ambassador but in all spheres.
“As such, the auditions are meant to identify the best from all provinces as we are looking for someone with the ability to assume an ambassadorial role for brand Zimbabwe,” he said.
Chagonda noted that the criteria by which finalists would be selected would conform to international standards as the overall winner would represent the country at an international pageant.
Last year, Chipunza raised the country’s flag high during the Miss International finals held in Malaysia on December 31. The Zimbabwean beauty made it into the Top 10 and was Miss Talent second runner up.
The reigning Miss Carnival was also appointed brand ambassador for Asian Metropolitan University in Southern Africa.
Interested participants are expected to be at least 1,72 metres tall, be between the ages of 18 and 23.