Now we want to host Miss world pageant - Bissau

MONKAGEDI GAOTLHOBOGWE
Staff Writer | Monday November 15, 2010 00:00

 

Bissau also says despite Emma's massive success they are not resting on their laurels until they make a Miss World queen. 'The semi-finals and finals of the Miss Botswana this year were just at a different level in terms of entertainment, the arrangement, dcor and all. Our audience were very impressed by the stage work of rapper Juju Boy at the semi-finals, and one of Botswana's top artists, Vee, told us he would not want to receive any payment for his shows after he was allowed to perform at such a top notch event; he left a big impression there, and he felt it was an honour for him to perform in front of that audience,' said Bissau.

But the organiser says should they be able to host the Miss World pageant, they will pull out all the stops to bring international artists to Botswana to perform at the event.

'It has always been our plan to host this prestigious event. We have transformed the Miss Botswana pageant and made it the most rewarding, most glamorous showbiz event in Africa; no one can beat us when it comes to imagination, and Emma Wareus is our testimony to that,' Bissau declared in an interview with Showtime at Riverwalk on Friday evening. Indeed, their inaugural pageant saw the winner, Sumaiyah driving away with a new Mercedes Benz car that she would later sell for P240 000 at the end of her reign, while this year's winner gets a house worth close to P500,000. US rap mogul Russell Simmons also donated some jewellery to the inaugural three queens, Sumaiyah, Emma, and Naledi Willers. Bissau says when he and partner Thapelo Pabalinga decided to re-brand the Miss Botswana pageant, they had the 'Miss World title for Botswana' in mind. 'We have always said we want to bring the Miss World title to Botswana in five years' time'.

'We are elated that within two years of our effort, our Emma is now the Miss World runner-up, but this is not the end of the story for us; we are even more motivated that we can produce a Miss World queen. 'People doubted us in the beginning; we had to fund the pageant from our own pockets mainly because when we first came on board, the economy was going through a global recession. But we hope that with the success of Emma at the Miss World, people and potential partners will now have much more respect for the Miss Botswana pageant. In fact, we are very happy with the latest step that government has taken in ensuring that Emma's homecoming is a proper state event that too is what motivates us,' the organiser said.