‘bikini ban’
Nicodemus Odhiambo
The Tanzanian government recently rescinded a ban it had placed on beauty contests and allowed organisers of this year’s Aspen Miss Tanzania to commence operation.
The ban was imposed last December after the director of Kings International Promotions, Rena Callist, flouted rules and allowed the contestants of the Miss East Africa pageant to parade before judges in skimpy beach wear against state orders.
Most Tanzanians welcomed the ban as local beauties never fare too well at international beauty contests anyhow. Last year’s queen, Basilla Mwanukuzi, was edged out in the preliminary rounds of the Miss World contest, which was won by Miss Israel, Linor Abargil.
Some Tanzanians argued that the beauty pageant simply wasn’t their ”cup of tea” because yardsticks used were European and it was therefore unlikely that African women would ever win the coveted crown. Moreover, members of this school of thought argue that it is un-African to dress skimpily in public.
At the time of the banning, local press, championing the recognition of beauty contests as a sport, argued that Africa’s poor performance could largely be attributed to misconceptions about beauty pageants.
”Most Africans still view this contest with suspicion, even associating it with prostitution,” read one piece in The African. The paper said this misconception served to explain why African governments, including Tanzania, were hesitant to allow swimsuits and other ”disrespectful” wear in the local contests.
In principle, the paper argued, this flawed definition put off educated girls, such as university students and professionals, who thought participation in the pageant was likely to taint their reputations.
The logical conclusion is that girls without academic credentials or extra- curricular talent (like Tanzania’s Basilla Mwanukuzi) who think all it takes is a pretty face, are the only candidates to contend for the title. Mwanukuzi failed her ”A” level examinations.
Some people have argued that, while beauty still counts, the judges of these contests pay more attention these days to the intellect, character and moral standing of the participants. ”Participants in beauty contests and their managers must particularly be reminded that these are not occasions to parade faces. Girls must depict outstanding personal qualities as well as national cultural and moral values to stand any chance of winning,” The African argued.
Members of an opposing faction have defended the swimsuit, saying sashaying in skimpy wear was in keeping with early African traditions because Africans used to walk around half naked before being colonised by European civilisation.
Once in a while the beauties themselves have come out of their cocoons and defended the pageant. Saida Kessy, Miss Tanzania 1997, says one does not need to be extraordinarily beautiful to win the crown. Good appearance together with a sharp intellect are enough to make a girl stand out, she says.
Kessy says that Tanzanian society has yet to grasp the full meaning and import of beauty pageants. ”Most of the contestants do not know what they have to do in terms of dieting and exercise. And that’s tough,” she says.
Among those who have defended the pageant, as well as the swimsuit, is Amina Mongi, executive director of Faces International, the only modelling agency in the country. She has vehemently accused the media of generating negative publicity, saying the pageant is a sport like any other, with rules which must be followed.
Authorities cannot simply chuck out the beach wear, she says. Local contests must conform to international standards. She says that, because of skewed reports, intelligent girls attending colleges and universities cannot participate for fear of being reported in the press as ”wearing dresses of loose morals”.
Amid the hullabaloo, the National Arts Council (Basata) threatened to slap an indefinite ban on Kings International Promotions from holding beauty events in Tanzania. Apart from allowing a number of contestants to parade in swimsuits, the organisation also failed to hand over the prizes which had been promised to winners. Basata official, Philemon Mwasanga, insists that Callist must be discliplined for the impropriety.
Catherine Mukomah from Kenya, who emerged as the winner of last year’s scandalous Miss East Africa contest, was supposed to cart away a Toyota sports car worth $18 000, while Tanzania’s Aena Maeda and Miriam Odemba, first and second runners-up, were supposed to bag $1 400 and $700 respectively.
The Kenyan had to fly out minus the coveted automobile. Other competitors were supposed to get $140 as consolation money, but none of them has ever set eyes on Callist, who reportedly went underground soon after the pageant last December.
Nicodemus Odhiambo is a senior reporter with The Express weekly newspaper