Bulawayo teen model Ntando Khumalo has expressed anger over her sudden disqualification from the Miss Curvy Zimbabwe pageant following her participation at Miss Curvy Nust where she was crowned second princess, The Standard Style has learnt.
By Kennedy Nyavaya
Khumalo was part of the last 15 contestants set to battle it out for the coveted Miss Curvy Zimbabwe crown on December 21 at Dzimbahwe in Harare.
Opening up to The Standard Style, the 18-year-old, currently studying science of cosmetics at Bulawayo Polytechnic, said her exclusion was unwarranted.
“I don’t know why I’m being punished for participating in a pageant that l didn’t organise,” she said, adding that there was no instruction barring her from taking part in another pageant.
“I just took part [in Miss Curvy Nust] because l wanted the title and the money obviously, but l didn’t know it would ruin my road to this big contest because we never signed any contract.”
Apart from the disappointment of being shown the exit door Khumalo regrets the time and resources she had invested in commitment to the national contest. “I had bought all the outfits for the crowning night,” she said.
“We were asked to donate food in our community to the needy under the theme Models against hunger, so l had asked for donations from my family and friends and half of them confirmed that they had the stuff and were now waiting for me to come and collect it,” she said.
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However, Miss Curvy Zimbabwe pageant founder and licence holder Mercy Mushaninga cited alleged insubordination as the reason for Khumalo‘s ejection.
“She participated in another pageant despite the fact that we told her not to take part in that bogus modelling contest where she became second princess,” said Mushaninga.
“We discouraged her from taking part because we were also not in agreement with the way it was done because it was held in a club, and this differs with our values.”
Mushaninga said they had engaged their legal team to stop the organisers of the Bulawayo version from using the Miss Curvy flagship name as they were not affiliated.
As it stands, none of the 13 remaining contestants are from Bulawayo.
Meanwhile, Khumalo, a product of former Bulawayo beauty queen Samantha Tshuma’s Open Eye Modelling Agency, said she had not lost heart and would continue representing her hometown.
“I feel disappointed because l was looking forward to the finals and now this comes up. but well it’s not the end of the world, l believe that everything happens for a reason and besides I am just 18 years old, meaning l still have a lot of time to shine and represent the city of Kings and Queens in greater things,” she said.
