Miss Matofotofo flops

Low patronage and a last minute withdrawal of contestants marred the Miss Matofotofo, also called Miss True African Queen, contest in Lilongwe on Friday that saw Isabella Kilembe walking home with the crown.

The pageant, scheduled for 7pm, started just before 10pm as organisers bought time, hoping more patrons would turn up.

With plenty of goodies promised to fans for the night, the sizeable crowd was not amused when organisers announced that only six out of the initial 11 contestants would battle it out for the honours.

More shocking was the absence of the six physically challenged women that were set to warm the ramp as part of the Miss Confidence contest.

Miss Confidence is a new and unique beauty pageant for the physically challenged aimed at appreciating them, as they are hardly regarded in society.

Also missing on the menu was Zimbabwean musician Sele.

That aside, the six finalists, Trintus Kachitsa, Joanna Phiri, Rebecca Yapuwa, Tiwonge Kaluwa, Bernadette Ng’omba and Kilembe, worked hard to outwit each other in a contest whose eventual winner was unanimously selected by the patrons.

From the introduction, to talent displays, casual wear, to office, traditional and smart traditional wear, Kilembe proved too hot for the other contestants.

Even her answer to the question by chief judge Mike Msungama, on what she would do if she won the pageant, was so good that the audience had no option but clap hands for her.

It did not come as a surprise then when the 30-year-old, who works with Malawi Housing Corporation in Lilongwe, was declared winner.

She got K500 000 worth of prizes, including a goat, a holiday at Great Zimbabwe Sun Hotels and another holiday at Sunbird Livingstonia.

“My contesting for the pageant was to prove to people, especially ladies who look down on themselves because they are big, that being fat also means beautiful. You can still wear fashionable clothes and enjoy life like the slim and slender people,” she said after her triumph.

She attributed her victory to her confidence.

“I was myself and that caught the attention of the judges. And I must admit, the competition was not tough, it was average to me. As for my plans, I will involve myself so much into charity work,” said Kilembe.

Miss Talent went to Yapuwa, who was also crowned First Princess, while Kaluwa won the Second Princess accolade with Kachitsa winning the Miss Personality.