The Sunday News
Sunday Life Reporter
FORMER Miss Zimbabwe, Brita Masalethulini says modelling standards in the country have drastically gone down, as most models venturing into that industry are chancers who do not respect the profession.
Speaking to ZiFM Stereo’s SoProfound recently, the beauty said the advent of social media also had a huge role to play to the continuous scandals and dethronements that have rocked the Miss Zimbabwe Trust.
“When you’re young, you at times make decisions that are not so good for you. With the advent of social media these things (nude pictures) can be used against you. I hate to say this but, when you are going into this modelling field, you need to know what you’re getting yourself into,” said Masalethulini.
The former model whose involvement in pageantry is now limited to grooming and consultancy said the current breed of models had no respect for the industry as they do not take modelling as a profession but are in it for fun and the fame.
“Back then, we took pageantry very serious. We wanted to be ambassadors for our country and represent our people. And in anything that we did, all those things reflected in our behaviour and attitude.
“Fortunately for me, the modelling agency — Silhouette Studios — that I belonged to was very strict and it had a track record of producing winners. Modelling was considered as a job as well as something that was very prestigious. The build-up to becoming a title holder was very important.”
Brita, who refers to herself as a farm girl as she spent 21 years of her life on a farm in the outskirts of Harare said she never thought she would be a model, considering her tomboy background.
But to her credit, when she was in Grade 1, she clinched a modelling title showing that she had a bright future.
“My first pageant actually was when I was in Grade 1. I was crowned little Miss Muffet at a pageant hosted by Greatermans.
The funny part was that the teachers who took us there didn’t tell me what the event was about.
“As kids, we just went and were told to go on stage and walk on the ramp and smile. I did so, and funnily, my head was shaved bald. I’d no idea what was going on, only to hear my name being called out as the winner,” Brita said.
From there, she never considered taking up modelling and continued with her farm life. But as fate would have it, later in life, Brita enrolled at Oriel Girls High where she met another lady — Angeline Musasiwa — who was like her — to become a top model.
“I didn’t think about modelling until I was in high school and Angeline was making things happen. She was an Upper Six when I was in Form 1 at Oriel. There was just something outstanding about her walk because she was very tall and slim. There was a certain grace and elegance about her. I didn’t understand the world of modelling but just looking at her, people would get up and give her a seat on the bus each time.”
She said after completing her high school studies, Musasiwa took part in Miss Zimbabwe in 1994 and clinched the crown. She went on to represent the country at Miss World where she shone.
“I wanted to be like her, but I was an introverted farm girl and told myself ‘I can’t live up to that. It’s just going to be a fantasy.’”
But when Brita turned 21 and after seriously thinking about taking up modelling, she decided to follow Musasiwa’s footsteps and try her luck at Miss Zimbabwe after completing her A-level.
“I decided I needed to do this. I could’ve taken part in Miss Zimbabwe in 1998 but I decided to use that year to prepare for the following year’s pageant instead. I couldn’t catwalk and had to undergo rigorous training with Silhouette to be able to do so.
They had to break me down to do this whole modelling thing as I was ruffed up and very tomboyish.”
And when the year — 1999 finally came, Brita was quite stressed as people were preparing for 2000 and many myths, like the world coming to an end, were doing the rounds.
“In 1999, most people had so many things going on but I thought to myself ‘I want to make my mark’. It was by choice that I contested and as a result, I worked hard for it.”
She said the difference between her and the current breed of models was that they do not put work into their modelling careers.
“Most people misunderstand the modelling industry. They think it’s just a matter of going onto the stage and smiling. They don’t understand that you need to put in a lot of work like eating healthy and staying fit prior to the event.
“I worked on my walk for a year, was in the gym five days a week and being on the farm, I’d all the time to work and do manual labour which made me fit. I was fit, but I wanted to be on top of my game.”
Reliving the Miss Zimbabwe experience, Brita said she was surprised when she was crowned because the contest was tough.
Two years later, she contested for the inaugural Miss Malaika where she was crowned queen.
“Miss Malaika was a whole different ball game as it was the first of its kind so there were no notes to it. And there were about three other girls I’d contested with at Miss World making it even more difficult.
“As I made my way to the ramp, I met the late SA singer Brenda Fassie and she suddenly exclaimed: ‘You look great. You are my winner!’ She was coming from rehearsals for a performance at the final and she looked lively. Her comment gave me hope.
I said a short prayer and entered the prejudging room holding my breath.”
After winning Miss Malaika in 2001, Brita decided to call it quits.
“A year after my Miss Malaika reign on the day I handed over my crown, I went to my trunk and folded everything up to do with pageants and modelling. I said a prayer and thanked God for the journey and decided to focus my attention on other things.”
The visual artiste who majors in abstract painting said she ventured into business.
“I’ve got different talents and abilities so I thought I’d reached my peak and knew it was time to transition into something else. I didn’t want to be just seen as a model. I explored other areas like being a mum which to me was the best title ever. At the age of 28 in 2006, I had my first baby, three years after I retired.”
Brita has three daughters with the youngest being two years old. She however, declined naming the man she was dating.
And to those who want to take up modelling, Brita said: “God gives you a gift and no matter what anyone has to say to you or about you, you’re God’s perfect gift and always see that as being perfect.
“Never look down upon yourself, you don’t have to rise to fame through your looks, but you can do things that are outstanding with the gift that you have.”
