It has been over two years since the last Miss Malawi pageant, which saw Jescar Mponda being crowned Queen,was held.
Promoters of the event then, Alpha Arts, said they had secured a two-and-half hosting licence, but they only managed to organise the event in 2022. That edition marked a return of the age-old pageant after another prolonged break.
Alpha Arts has since revealed that they stepped out from promoting the pageant after facing several challenges, including excessive rights hiring fees and limited corporate support.
In an interview yesterday, the company’s co-founder Tina Kendricks said it is unfortunate they could not fully fulfill they dream of reviving the Miss Malawi pageant due to the unsupportive terrain they encountered.
“That aside, we are happy with what we managed to achieve. In just a year we earned the recognition and trust from people. Even the numbers we pulled at the event were unbelievable. The second edition would have been even better. It is sad the dream was killed that way,” she said.
Kendricks said it is sad that as a country Malawi is failing to sustain the pageant, which has the potential to transform people’s lives.
She said: “We are losing out big time. The girls who participate in such pageants do not come back the same. There are a lot of openings which follow.”
Meanwhile, Mponda is still being recognised as the rightful holder of the crown and she continues to discharge the duties of the Miss Malawi office.
On Friday, the Miss Malawi will be making a donation at Ntondoko Primary School in Lunzu, Blantyre.
The beauty queen said in a separate interview: “I do not have any problem to continue serving the people in my role as Miss Malawi.”
Kendricks said as long as Mponda is yet to hand over the crown, she will continue being recognised as the legitimate queen.
She said: “There is a precedent to that. Actually some previous title holders have served in that role longer than she has done. She remains the Miss Malawi.”
The exclusive rights for hosting the Miss Malawi pageant are owned by Carver Bhima and partners.
In an interview yesterday, one of the partners, James Kamwaza, said since Alpha Art stepped out, there have not received any concrete offer from any promoter to host the event.
When asked to reveal how much is the fees to acquire the rights, Kamwaza only said the fees are negotiable.
Arts commentator Sam Chiwaka said there is need for a rethink on how the Miss Malawi pageant is organised. He said government need to have a big stake in the organisation of the event since Miss Malawi automatically becomes the face of the nation.
“Organising such an event requires a lot of resources. Only those individuals who have adequate resources can pull it off. Or else you need partnerships to bring on board corporates that can support the cause and that is not always easy,” he said.
