Ngoni Dapira
THE Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) Mutare office was lit last Saturday with a bevy of beautiful models that came through for the second Miss Tourism Manicaland 2019 auditions.

Miss Tourism Manicaland licence holder Caroline Marufu-Buwu (left) with the reigning Miss Tourism Manicaland 1st princess who is also the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe 2nd princess, Life Matunzeni.

The Miss Tourism Manicaland license holder and former model Caroline Marufu-Buwu said she was impressed by the turn out at the second auditions after a low turnout the previous week.
“The first audition had a low turnout but the second one was well attended. We now have 13 models that have come for auditions. Last year we had more than 30 ladies who came to audition but we cut the number to 15 who competed in the finals. We are still hoping for more so that we get the best of the best to represent our province well,” said the former Miss Zimbabwe 2007 and Miss Tourism Africa 2007 beauty queen.

The panel of adjudicators at last Saturday’s auditions.

Marufu-Buwu said the auditions are open to all girls from Manicaland that are between the age of 18 and 24 years with an interest in advancing their modeling career through the prestigious contest. The next and final auditions will be held this Saturday (11 May) and Sunday again at the ZTA Mutare Office from 9am till 3pm, whilst the pageant is slated for July 27 at Montclair Hotel in Nyanga.

One of the models that came for the auditions Gracious Manyanhaire getting ready for her runway walk test.

Last Saturday’s auditions comprised of a mixed batch with first timers and some experienced models. 24-year old Gracious Manyanhaire a finalist in last year’s Miss World Zimbabwe said she was taking part in the Miss Tourism pageant for the first time and was hoping to achieve better results than what she achieved in the Miss World Zimbabwe pageant. The auditions included a background and general knowledge interview session by the adjudicators then the modeling session to test the models runway walk know-how.

The reigning Miss Tourism Zimbabwe Tafadzwa Jaricha receiving her car.

Manicaland is currently the reigning province with the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe crown that was won by the 22- year old lawyer Tafadzwa Jaricha that received the top prize of $10 000 and a Mercedes-Benz C Class. The province wrote its own history in the pageant after two of its models won at the national pageant which saw Life Matunzeni being chosen as the second princess. This will definitely be an inspiring aspect to the local models that will be motivated to believe anything is possible if one of their own won the last national contest.