The Miss Malawi selection scandal has taken a dramatic new twist, after the head of publicity for Prophet Shepherd Bushiri's office and Goshen City, Aubrey Kusakala, released a bombshell statement claiming to shed new light on why runner-up Irene Navicha -- and not reigning queen Thandie Chisi -- was chosen to represent Malawi at Miss World.
In an explosive letter issued Friday night, Kusakala claimed his own inquiries had uncovered that Chisi had in fact been offered the chance to represent Malawi at Miss Universe on 30 June, but turned the opportunity down for what were described only as "personal reasons."
According to the statement, once that opportunity arose, officials then agreed the chance should pass to Navicha, her runner-up -- with Kusakala's letter pointing out that the Miss Universe slot in question required a contestant under the age of 26.
The claims, if accurate, would offer a strikingly different explanation to the one previously given by Miss Malawi Organisation bosses, who publicly blamed confusion over Miss World's own age eligibility rules for their decision to bypass Chisi.
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Kusakala's letter further claimed that the decision to send Navicha to Miss World was made in agreement with the Miss Malawi board, chaired by Prophetess Mary Bushiri, insisting that pageant opportunities should not be reserved solely for the reigning Miss Malawi title-holder, but shared among all three top finishers.
The statement went on to acknowledge that tension appears to exist between Chisi and Miss Malawi organisers over the handling of her contractual arrangements, though Kusakala insisted such matters ought to be resolved privately between the parties rather than played out in public.
Crucially, the letter also moved to distance Goshen City from the controversial selection decision entirely, stating firmly that the organisation had played no role whatsoever in choosing who would represent Malawi at Miss World.
The claims are likely to reignite fierce debate over the pageant selection saga, which has already gripped the nation for days, with questions now mounting over which of the competing explanations for Navicha's selection -- age eligibility rules, or a declined Miss Universe offer -- actually reflects what happened behind closed doors.
Neither Chisi nor the Miss Malawi Organisation has yet responded publicly to the fresh claims made in Bushiri spokesperson's statement.
