Chisi had won the Miss Malawi contest and was crowned on 13 December in Lilongwe, hoping to take part in the Miss World pageant.
However, organisers have now selected the first runner-up, Ireen Navicha, the daughter of Malawi’s Cabinet Minister Mary Navicha to compete on the global stage.
The decision has sparked widespread backlash, raising questions about transparency and fairness.
This comes at a critical time for the southern African country as it returns to the global stage after a 14-year absence.
Initially, the Miss Malawi organisers cited Chisi’s age for replacing her, claiming she was above the Miss World age limit.
However, this quickly came under scrutiny, as official guidelines generally cover contestants aged 17 to 27, and Chisi will still be 27 at the time of the pageant, due to take place from 9 August to 5 September 2026 in Vietnam.
The Miss Malawi Organisation had apologised for the mix-up, with local media quoting its Chief Executive Benedette Mweso as saying they ‘’take full responsibility for causing the age eligibility confusion.’’
However, Prophet Shepherd Bushiri’s Goshen City, the pageant’s principal sponsor, gave another excuse for not choosing the reigning queen.
It explained it was because of its board’s ‘’new approach to creating opportunities for all finalists’’ and that the selected finalist has ‘’international experience’’.
Local media quoted the Miss Malawi board Chairperson, Prophetess Mary Bushiri, as saying “international opportunities would not be limited to the winner alone, but would also be made available to the first and second runners-up, as well as other finalists.”
Organisers have not said whether they will reverse their decision.
However, Miss World has confirmed on its website that Ireen Navicha will be Malawi’s representative, signalling the window has closed for Thandi Chisi.
Reacting to the apparent snub, Chisi sounded upbeat, saying a “crown does not make a Queen; character does. And no circumstance can take that away.”
In a statement on 27 July, the Malawi beauty queen said she was confident that ‘’in due course, the relevant facts will emerge”, promising to address the matter ‘’openly and responsibly at the appropriate time.”
Nevertheless, the Minister’s daughter Ireen Navicha on September 5 bowed out of the competition after failing to progress from the Top 40 to the Top 20 – but not before etching her name into the history books.
She became the first Malawian representative to ever reach the Top 40 stage of the prestigious global pageant, which was taking place in Vietnam, marking the country’s best-ever performance at the contest.
Miss World is one of the longest-running and most prestigious international beauty pageants, first held in London in 1951.
Alongside the traditional beauty and evening wear segments, the competition places heavy emphasis on humanitarian work through its Beauty With a Purpose initiative, which rewards contestants for charitable projects undertaken in their communities.
The pageant draws representatives from well over 100 countries each year, with the Top 40 stage representing a significant milestone for smaller pageant nations seeking to establish themselves on the global stage.
