The ManicaPost
Morris Mtisi
From Miss High School-Bonda (2009) to Miss Tourism-Manicaland (2018) is the story of a 22 year old beauty walking to stardom. She is as pretty as a porcelain vase outside. She has more charm deep inside. All beauty pageant judges know one thing when they see her walk down the romp: unanimity. Beyond the physical allure, she has the brains, the humility, the reticence and unmistakable seriousness of purpose often absent in young girls her age today. Her name is Tafadzwa PrimRose Jaricha.
TPJ’s unassuming nature and appetite for success cannot be overemphasized. She has great poise. She is calm and full of self control. She does not dramatize dignity. Where most girls her age suffer the pain of useless hoity-toity, overacting and over-excitement, the young Mutare legal practitioner has the gracefulness and self confidence of an absolute poseur. She knows the exact woman she wants to portray and be. Of Beauty and Law! What is the common denominator?
Hardly one month with the title, reigning Miss Tourism queen-Manicaland does not have the careless and irritating coquettish manner common amongst girls her age and accomplishment. She has no instant familiarity and that speechless vulgarity of personality we all know young pretty girls to have. The good-girl image is skin deep exhibiting an un-practiced majesty and stateliness all women of great poise have. But at 22? How did it happen? Read on:
MM: Girls your age are either still in school busy doing correction or if not, they are busy every day going everywhere away from heaven. How come you are already working and working on a job that requires honour, integrity, incorruptibility and wisdom of the highest order. How does that happen Tafadzwa…in modern Zimbabwe?
TPJ: Most of it has to do with my mom…Ms Juliana Chirwire…the remainder I have no idea too, really. My background is very pedestrian…very simple. I was born at Old Mutare Hospital in 1995…went to Mutare Junior School between 2000 and 2006. 2007 to 2012, now 15, I found myself at St David’s – Bonda studying Geography, History and Shona. I snatched my 15 points and proceeded to UZ-2013 to 2017 where I studied for a Bachelor of Laws degree-Honours.
MM: You tell it like it was a walk in the park…was it Mi-Lady?
TPJ: A walk in the park…No! No luck and no coincidence too. But with God, everything seems to be easy. And why not? I do not come from the end of the rainbow Mr Mtisi. I am from a very humble background…not even from the lash leafy suburbs of Mutare. Most of my life I grew up in Sakubva and Chikanga…typical ghetto girl.
MM: But you seem to be hiding the magic…the unexplained, the supernatural, the enchantment. Get straight to that Tafadzwa. You keep me hanging. Break the cliff-hanger. You are not ordinary girl, are you?
TPJ: Very ordinary Mr Mtisi. My mom was a primary school teacher at St Joseph’s Primary. Ms Dangare, the school head, persuaded my mom that I was under age but clever enough to begin Grade 1 at the age of 4 turning 5. I struggled like and with the rest until Grade 4, 5 and 6 where excellence oozed out of me from God-knows where. At Bonda in 2009 in Form 3 I joined the Miss High School Beauty Pageant. It was called the Slim Shade competition. I won this. Then the Winter Miss Ice Queen… I was now in Form 5. I became the first princess, meaning No. 2 contender.
MM: So the charm manifested at Bonda? Do beautiful girls know they are beautiful? You look at yourself straight in the mirror and you know you are the Creator’s masterpiece?
TPJ: Not at all. My family and friends supported me, but it was all for the fun of it. I had no inkling on my mind something bigger would happen one day. And it did.
MM: Talk to me.
TPJ: First year at the university (UZ) I auditioned for the Miss UZ title but did not get into the finals. I auditioned again in 2015…I was in my second year. I remember it was in October. I took the Miss Universities title after coming out the winner out of all universities’ contestants. I remember confidently in my short hair…strikingly in contrast with the best out of the best hair-salons.
MM: You have come a long way Tafadzwa. But you still have not revealed the secret. There is something extraordinary beyond that quiet beauty.
TPJ: The secret is God. All the time I have told myself I will do it, I have done it, and done it with no hustle. I have thus, a stubborn Afro centric vibe in me that makes me hugely confident, almost astonishingly poised in whatever I do. I pray to God…and it happens. In Upper Six at a time things were really tight at home financially, I remember my mom gave me $20 during one of her visits at Bonda. This was supposed to be my pocket money to last me the whole term. I gave $15 to God and fasted pledging to Him above one dollar a day of my 15 day fasting…one dollar per day each dollar and fasting day representing one point in my examinations. That is how I got the 15 points…straight from God in a fasting prayer agreement.
MM: I am awed. I am knocked for six. I am speechless-bewildered-gobsmacked. Oh dear me!
TPJ: Oh yes. There is God in Heaven Mr Mtisi. He never lets us down. He is the author of all our achievements. In 2016 I knew I would one day win the Miss Tourism title. In 2016 I was a finalist. In 2017 I came out No.2 and come 2018 …here we are! It’s my year. And it was a double win.
MM: Speak! Talk to me!
TPJ: I was Miss Tourism as well as Miss Personality.
MM: Miss Personality? What title is that?
TPJ: All the contestants are asked to nominate whoever they think was the most pleasant to be around, to be with, throughout the competition.
MM: What charm is there in you Tafadzwa? Young…very young, yet intelligent, responsible, incorruptible, mature in your youth, we will not talk about the unassuming nature…very calm and oozing a complex simplicity. Quite amazing! It was my honour and privilege to talk to you. I want to rope you into a huge moral rearmament project I am working on to fight celebration of decay amongst students in institutions of higher learning and high schools. Would you mind? God gave me you in this project. And can I invite you to Diamond FM Radio to help me unleash an honest and brutal expose of student prostitution in tertiary institutions.
I want you to help me through this behavioural transformation project to critically examine a social malady that most Zimbabweans have blatantly ignored, turned a deaf ear to and hoped would somehow disappear into thin air: the issue of student prostitution and sexual harassment and other forms of abuse in colleges and universities.
TPJ: The Zimbabwean high school student, especially the girl student, needs to transform behaviourally to face the harsh realities that lie in wait for every University student. I will be there when you need me in this noble cause. I am surprised you read my mind. I also have a project in the making as we speak. It is called The Voice…to do exactly what you are saying. Let us work together.
MM: Will be in touch soon when I need you on radio to allow The Voice to speak to students through radio.
TPJ: I will be ready when you are. Thank you.
