She is now expected in Harare this week to receive her prizes, which include a vehicle, $1 500, monthly allowances of $6 000 and international travel.
Tourism and Hospitality Industry minister, Walter Mzembi said: “The minister has decided to bring together the model and the ZTA management to take a fresh look at the matter with the assistance of a select committee of the ZTA.”
Mathe is from Bulawayo and her ordeal at the hands of Zanu (PF) sex pests and perverts was first revealed by this newspaper which highlighted that politicians, women and children’s organisations were afraid of tackling the issue.
In an apparent response to The Zimbabwean, Mzembi told a Zanu (PF) controlled newspaper that: “I am therefore concerned about what was apparently a public trial of a youth whom the community should respect and guide. As the ultimate custodian of the integrity of all activities organised by the ZTA, the ministry is acutely aware of the need to be sensitive to the interests and rights of the girl child as the participant in ZTA-organised pageants.”
As a further result of this newspapers expose, the ministry has also begun low level inquiries to establish if the other winning models who received their prizes may have been sexually abused before being given their winning prizes.
“The minister has just appointed a new ZTA board which is gender sensitive with four ladies on it. He is therefore confident that the matter regarding Ms Mathe will be resolved appropriately and to the model’s satisfaction,” said Mzembi.
Karikoga Kaseke, the ZTA chief executive officer, was quoted implying that Zanu (PF) politburo members and politicians from Matabeleland had leaned on Mzembi to reinstate Lungile and acknowledged that his public statements while dethroning her were ‘harsh’.
“I feel that I should apologise to her and the nation,” he said.
Models who do not win prizes are reportedly dazzled with cash, gifts, regional and international trips by elderly company executives and Zanu (PF) officials
Post published in: Arts