FOR model Mercy Kamanura, last year was a mixed bag, a cocktail of the good, the bad and the ugly.
BY MOSES MATENGA
Kamanura, 2015 second princess in the Black Opal Face of Zimbabwe finals was known more for her charity work that brought smiles on the poor in villages and different parts of Harare including Epworth where she donated sanitary pads and other goodies.
The model, however, was to be caught up in controversy, standing accused of stealing a $40 jumpsuit at the First Street Edgars branch and was dragged before the courts, earning herself a moniker, “thieving model”.
She was convicted and fined $80 by a Harare magistrate.
But instead of forever wiping tears, Kamanura maintains she was wrongly accused and will continue looking ahead with her projects.
“Last year was really an eye-opener in my career as a model. I got to learn a lot about the things I am very passionate about. It opened my eyes to see what happens when you become more significant and recognisable, especially coming from nowhere without muscle to manipulate others,” she said.
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“The black Opal victory was fun, and I loved every bit of it. The court case was very interesting, a simple situation that was exaggerated. They gave the public a view that never got the other side spoken. The quest over the all fight was not because I couldn’t have just admitted to pay a fine in the first place and just move on, but it was because my life principle is I do not admit to false things so that I can please people,” she said.
“Yes, it cost a lot of money to stand my ground. I do not regret standing for truth even though it came with a cost. I would rather spend my resources fighting for truth than to covet a lie,” Kamanura said.
She said despite the hullaballoo about her case, she will continue with her passion and responsibilities as a model. “I will continue with my passion and responsibilities as a model. This month I am actually on a charity mission in Nyanga where l will be donating sanitary pads,” she said.
She said her story received so much media attention than any other prominent person but said she got consolation from several people during the days . “My story got a lot of publicity even far much more than even the most prominent people. A lot of people benefitted from the case, the papers, the prosecuting team, the lawyers, Edgars, the security guard, the security company and Black Opal,” she said.
“Everyone else obviously got a lot of positive publicity but in as much as I got a lot of negative publicity, the consolation I have been getting from people has been very reassuring because people could see through what was happening. I had been, however, threatened at the beginning of the situation that I was going to be ripped apart through the media,” she said.
Asked how her family and friends treated her during the trial, Kamanura said: “Family and friends have no issues with me because they know me well enough to be financially stable to not do such a foolish thing. Risking a name I built over the years. Notwithstanding stealing a jumpsuit I can’t fit in at the same time holding an account which had enough money to even buy a number of those jumpsuits.”
