Lekopanye Mooketsi
8 September 2008
Zimbabwean alleged con artist Ignatious Musemburi has resurfaced as one of the organisers of a beauty pageant in which the winner has been promised P100,000 as the first prize.
This would be the biggest prize money ever to be won by a beauty contestent in the country. But parents of some contestants are already raising doubts about the beauty contest dubbed 'Miss Teen Africa'.
A parent said she paid P250 for her children as registration fees. "It seems there is something fishy. When you organise a beauty pageant there should be sponsorship. I don't think even Miss Botswana contestants are charged that much," she said.
She said they were also charged P250 for a DVD of poor quality which shows part of the competition. According to the lady, the DVD was not worth that much.
The parent said their children have been taken to an unfurnished house in Block 8 for "boot camp".
She said the 18 girls are kept under lock and key and they are not allowed access to the outside world. She added that they are also not allowed to use their cell phones and they have been ordered to switch them off.
She is also concerned about the security at the house where the girls are kept.
She revealed that the contestants have also been told to bring their own bedding. She claimed that the house where they are kept does not have curtains.
The parent said they paid P850 for the boot camp.
She said the final competition is expected to be held early October.
Musemburi used to run a "training institute" at Gaborone West, which was known as the Centre for Interactive Media and Art Studies (CIMAS). The were not content with the quality of courses they were provided. Some students said their examination dates were postponed indefinitely. When students demanded to be refunded, Musemburi disappeared leaving behind a bill of P40,000 as outstanding rental.
Before he opened the college, Musemburi operated a video production company in Mogoditshane. He used to call aspiring actors for auditions where he would demand a fee. That would be the last time they would hear from him.
While at Gaborone West, Musemburi advertised for posts for a forthcoming publication and he charged potential candidates a specific fee. He never employed them.
Last year Musemburi appeared as a newspaper publisher with a publication which was known as Mahube. The newspaper was exposed by Mmegi after they published fictitious job vacancy adverts. The newspaper, which was operating with an unknown labour recruitment company, advertised non-existent jobs.
The newspaper also used logos of organisations like the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and Phakalane Estates without authority for some promotions they claimed to be running.
The newspaper has since folded and after a year, Musemburi has emerged as a beauty pageant organiser.
When she was asked about Musemburi, one of the organisers at the Block 8 house where the girls are kept, referred questions to the coordinator of the event, Miti Mhlangayebe. She said Mhlangayebe gave instructions that only he should be interviewed.
The mild mannered Mhlangayebe confirmed that they are running the beauty contest and that Musemburi was part of their team. He said Musemburi confessed to him about some of the activities that he was involved with in the past.
He also claimed that "Musemburi has been cleared by the High Court". Mhlangayebe believes that if a person had committed a mistake in the past, he should be given a second chance.
Mhlangayebe said the beauty contest is organised by him and Kaone Molosiwa . He said everything about the event is transparent. He added that they were not doing anything fishy.
Regarding the P250 that contestants were charged as "registration fee", he said they have to pay something to show commitment. "It is more of a commitment. There is really nothing for free. You have to show commitment," he said, adding that this is going to be a beauty contest with a difference.
He said the contestants are going to be used to educate young people on several issues affecting the youth.
About the P250 that they charged for DVDs, the coordinator said they did not force parents to buy the films. "We sold them at an event which was held at Maharaj conference centre," he said.
Regarding the P850 for the boot camp, Mhalangayebe said they did not charge the parents. According him, the boot camp is free. He said parents were expected to pay P850 for a "super ball' that they are going to host.
However, he said they have not collected this money from parents. He challenges the parents who claimed to have paid P850 to show a receipt.
Mhalangayebe confirmed that the beauty queen is going to walk away with P100,000. He said the prize money was available. But he did not disclose their sponsors. He said they would acknowledge them later.
Mhalangayebe said they are still negotiating with some companies for sponsorship.
As for the house where they are keeping the contestants for the boot camp, he said it is well secured. He said they have not forced anyone into the house and the parents have signed consent forms. He admitted that the house is not furnished.
Mhalangayebe said they are not allowing contestants to make telephone calls as part of their protocol.
However, he said, they are free to make emergency calls. He claimed that the contestants' cell phones have not been switched off completely. He said contestants are not allowed to take calls during training sessions.
Mhlangayebe said he wonders why a parent should be making allegations against them when they have not forced anybody to participate in the event. "She should come up in the open," he insisted.
He said there has always been open communication between parents and the contestants.
He added that they are going to organise a 'get together' for parents and the contestants.
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