It is a matter of great concern to note that in this 21st century some quarters are publicly judging the newly crowned Miss Malawi, Tionge Munthali, negatively along beauty lines.
A week has now elapsed since she took over the crown from Cecilia Khofi but some people do not still seem to come to terms with the judges` decision. Since the night of 28th April, the Malawi queen continue to be the subject of analysis.
Worse still, some of those partaking in such a dehumanizing debate are the so called celebrities. Others have gone as far as mocking the Mzuzu based model by tampering with her pictures so that they fit their perception.
I for one understand that beauty is not universal, it lies in the eyes of the beholder. But a question of who is beautiful and who is not can hardly give you one straight forward answer. In this respect, who I perceive as beautiful may have a different look in front of your eyes.
Yes, all people are entitled to their own opinions but expressing of ones stand on a certain issue comes with responsibilities. This liberty has limitations in that it is not permissible to express your opinion in a way that harms others.
Getting back to the issue of beauty, it is judged differently in the modelling world. It is not just about how wonderful one’s face was crafted by the creator. There are issues to do with height, body type as regards to slimness or fatness and many more.
People must understand that all competing parties in the Miss Malawi beauty pageant are put on the same level. A model is only awarded the crown if and only if she impresses in the fashion show activities which are used as a mode for assessing contestants.
Tionge Munthali is our flag bearer and needs the whole country`s support not humiliations. Miss Malawi organisers want to restore the lost glory of the pageant by ensuring the country`s participation in Miss Universe pageant. Therefore if she is not given support she needs, there is no way she can bring home the global crown.
One Kalawe once rapped, “When a Malawian lady is in makeup, she is treated as a whore, who will civilize us as a country?”
The national anthem stresses that God has to put down each and every enemy, hunger, diseases and envy. Let’s join hands and support our flag carriers.
