By CHRISTINE MWAABA –
TEN contestants will this year compete for the prestigious Miss Africa Zambia 2016 crown on August 5.
The event which is billed for Lusaka Grand Palace Hotel will showcase African beauty, culture, talent and creativity.
Among the contestants competing are Charity Mwanza, Maria Chibuye, Grace Tembo, Chewe Penny, Luoisa Chingangu, Lukundo Nambya, Tina Kazhila, Memory Ndumba, Sheena Kaliyangile.
The winner of the pageant will join beauty queens from Africa who will represent their countries at the Miss Africa 2016 which will be held in Botswana.
The selected 10 contestants will contend for the local title and the winner will become a goodwill ambassador for Miss Africa Zambia 2016.
The pageant is being used to fight the practice of child marriage in Zambia.
Pageant organiser Lee Sokoni said Miss Africa Zambia 2016 is a platform that is used to market Zambia globally. It gives the winner an opportunity to interact with other African beauty queens.
“It is an opportunity for this year’s winner to interact with her colleagues from other African countries and she can apply the knowledge she has learnt to help young people in Zambia,” he said.
He said the beauty pageant, which is highly competitive in Africa, seeks to bring out the leadership qualities in young African women. It also aims to promote African cultural, lifestyle, and the wonders of the world found in Africa in order to boost the tourism sector.
The pageant is being used to exploit ways of ending child marriage and hence the Miss Africa Zambia 2016 local theme is, “Ending Child Marriage in Zambia”.
The Miss Africa Zambia winner will work towards promoting this cause. Tourism and Arts Minister Jean Kapata and chief executive officer for Miss Africa Bruce Nkangakila from Bostwana are expected to the grace the competition.