LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi CSO led black Economic Empowermentovement MaBLEM has described the justification by the Miss Malawi office for sending Ireen Navicha to Miss World pageant as childish and devoid of an entity that requires to be held with high esteem and integrity.
MaBLEM board chairperson Mkwezalamba told The Maravi Post on Thursday morning that his organisation has since asked ministry of culture to intervene and review the decisions that made the office to send a runner up as opposed to Ireen, who is also daughter of Gender Minister Mary Navicha.
“We are made to understand that the miss Malawi office holds the mandate to choose a representative abroad, however such decisions must be devoid of any controversy.
“To claim that Navicha is the only one experienced cause she participated in previous contests doesn’t hold any water because she simply didn’t win in those contests and when she first attended she didn’t have experience. What experience do they want in chisi which one can not acquire?” fumes Mkwezalamba.
He observes further, “We have watched beauty pageants, they undergo training before the actual competition starts. What preparations were they looking for which made Navicha fail in all those two contests?
Worried Mkwezalamba, “We are concerned because this is how we kill good intentioned initiatives. Yes we understand there was no politics involved but every Jim and jack will think twice when you have a daughter of a minister being preferred against a reigning national queen, this isn’t just right!”
MaBLEM appeals, “We demand accountability in the miss Malawi office so that people should have trust and confidence in its dealings. Otherwise they are sending a message that we are only participating for the sake of it because they won’t win and the competition every year has new faces and beauties.
“You can’t keep on sending the same person who lost the other year, they don’t select based on “chisoni” but reality on the ground. This tendancily of appeasement must stop if we are to empower the girl child”.
Mkwezalamba therefore commended Miss Malawi Thandi Chisi for her maturity on handling the matter as she showed the true spirit of a reigning queen.
“It’s clear she was under presser to say what she told Zodiak and supported navichas appointment. To me she just didn’t want to cause conflicts or bring issues in the pageant.
“I believe she was never invited to the launch event thought they are alleging she was tied up with miss Malawi office work, which work when this was a major event in her office than whatever she does daily,” lauds Mkwezalamba.
Mkwezalamba concludes, “I admire the bravely she showcased, and she remains a winner, she showed maturity under difficult circumstances because by sidelining her during the launch it was clear they didn’t want her and made sure she wasn’t near but she wore a brave face to support Navicha and even called on Malawians to stop attacking her to prevent her being distracted from the pageant.
“We appreciate that but institutions must learn to do things right hence our call for transparency and accountability!”
Mkwezalamba also revealed that “MaBLEM which seeks to promote indigenous growth of Malawians, was working to engage COSOMA and write relevant authorities to review the processes and decisions resulting in the awards to artists who he claimed are crying foul In terms of the money distributions”.
“We need to know how they arrived at these payments, why other artists are missing from the list of beneficiaries and how they account for he funds and their cuts.
“We need transparency to ensure that our artists are not duped or discouraged from doing proffessional work, they must account,” stated Mkwezalamba.
The social media is awash with complaints after some artsis including Miracle Chinga missed on the list of beneficiaries despite their recent public presence and love.
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