A 23-YEAR-OLD journalism student has been crowned Miss Zimbabwe UK after swapping the pen for the catwalk in Luton last Saturday.
Gabriella Tendai Mudhliwa said she would use her reign to support her charitable interest in tackling the stigma attached to mental health problems in Zimbabwe.
Tafadzwa Jamba was crowned first princess while Catherine Takawira was second princess.
Gabriella said: “The issue closest to my heart is mental health. I want to work with charities supporting people affected with mental health to erase the stigma of mental illness in Zimbabwe.”
The beauty, who lives in Hatfield, was the pick of the judges from the seven finalists through four categories – swim wear, African wear, evening wear and a question and answer segment.
She dazzled in a cream ethnic dress made by Susan Chifani [see website: http://www.chenai-chic.co.uk], a London-based designer whose designs were showcased by the contestants.
Gabriella, who cupped her mouth in stunned delight when she was announced as the winner, said: “Someone once said that procrastination is the assassination of motivation. With that in mind, I entered the pageant and I won it.
“I’m humbled, proud and thankful. All the girls were beautiful, it was just my time.”
Her winning prize included a UK Econet mobile phone and sim card with £50 airtime. Zimbabwe’s largest mobile phone firm is launching its UK network this week, aiming to target the thousands of Zimbabweans living in the UK with competitive call-home rates.
The pageant, organised by the ZimExpo Business Consortium, was held inside the stunning Riverside Conference Centre in Luton, but organisers would have been disappointed by the turnout amid reports that ex-Miss Zimbabwe UK winners have pooled together to organise their own rival pageant next year.