Miss Matofotofo winners yet to get their prizes

Winners in the 2013 Miss True African Queen will have to wait for another month to get their cash prizes as organisers of the beauty pageant have announced that the prizes will be given out on March 1.

The beauty pageant, formerly known as Miss Matofotofo, crowned its queen and princesses alongside Miss Talent and Miss Personality at the Capital Hotel Marquee in Lilongwe on December 6.

However, according to Lwazi Mbowa, the director of Lwazi Promotions which runs the pageant, the companies that pledged to sponsor the awards failed to honour their commitment on time, hence the delay.

“We could not wait for the cash prizes to crown the queen because we had already invested some resources for the grand finale. So, we went ahead with the crowning event. We informed the winners that they will receive their prizes on March 1. They listened and we are not having any complaints and we will do our best,” said Mbowa.

She added that they have since received most of the pledges.

According to the prize list released by Lwazi Promotions yesterday, the pageant will award four models. The queen Isabella Kilembe will receive K500 000 (above $1 250) cash from BM and Associates, a voucher for a holiday to Great Zimbabwe Sun Hotels, a shopping voucher at Edgars and another holiday at any Sunbird hotel.

The M’mbelwa chieftaincy will also give the queen a goat.

First princess Rebecca Yapuwa, who was also named Miss Talent, will get K300 000 (about $750) from BM and Associates, a holiday in Harare, Zimbabwe and a holiday at Kambiri Lodge while the second princess Tiwonge Kaluwa will get 00 000 from BM and Associates and a voucher for a dinner for two at Sunbird hotels.

For coming out Miss Talent, Yapuwa will be awarded a scholarship to study any arts course at the Inkululeko Yabatsha School of Arts in Zimbabwe.