Brooke Bruk-Jackson, 21, has been crowned Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2023, 22 years after the event was suspended. The occasion represented yet another watershed moment in the realm of beauty pageants.
After twelve brilliant finalists took the stage at the Hippodrome in Braeside, it was a radiant exhibition of beauty and confidence. The Miss Universe Zimbabwe pageant, themed “Beautifully Confident”, offered a platform for the contestants to demonstrate their inner strength and self-assuredness.
The event was a bright celebration of empowerment and self-confidence, with candidates displaying grace and charisma in their pursuit of the coveted crown. According to iharare, it was further complemented with riveting performances by renowned musicians such as Diamond Musica, Nutty O, Prudence Katomeni, and Takura.
The contest reached its apex when Bruk-Jackson, a Zimbabwean beauty therapist and model, was elected Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2023 and took home the coveted title. She defeated 11 other finalists to become Miss Universe Zimbabwe. However, because she is white, her victory has elicited varied reactions. While some on social media claimed that a Black contestant should have won, others said she deserved it.
“She’s absolutely gorgeous. If she’s Zimbabwean-born, then she qualifies. Everything else is rato drama. Let her enjoy her limelight moment,” Brian Ngoni Muzabazi wrote on Facebook.
“All those beautiful melanted women, and you telling me the European woman won a contest for Black people?” said one user on Twitter.
“If you understand the world, you’ll understand how the system runs! That’s not MY PICK, that’s not MY MISS ZIMBABWE. Leave me the fawk alone with the stupid s**t. IDGAF,” said another.
“I’m not supporting this at all and I’m not here to argue with any mf black people should learn to love and respect themselves stop sending a white girl to represent Zimbabwe 🇿🇼,” said Natasja Sibanda on Instagram. “[W]e are not white isn’t enough seeing them whites coming from their continent have you ever seen Germany, India Thailand or China sending Black girls to represent them stop being fools…” Sibanda continued.
Bruk-Jackson, the freshly crowned Miss Universe Zimbabwe 2023, is Tracey Evans Bruk-Jackson’s daughter. Her educational path comprised secondary school at Chisipite Senior School in Harare. Later, she attended the British Academy of Fashion Design in London, England, and the Beauty Therapy Institute in Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa.
Bruk-Jackson’s role as Miss Universe Zimbabwe entails the enormous responsibility of serving as a global ambassador for her country. She will proudly wear the Zimbabwe sash at the 72nd Miss Universe pageant, which will be held in El Salvador on November 18, 2023.
In this international tournament, she will compete against beauty queens from around the world for the coveted title.
During Saturday’s event, Amanda Mpofu finished first runner-up, while Nokutenda Marumbwa finished second runner-up.