BOYZ Dze Tonaz, accused of leaking pictures of top models, including reigning Miss World Zimbabwe Emily Kachote in the nude on social media platforms, have denied the accusations and said the rumours had negatively impacted their business.
BY WINSTONE ANTONIO
An executive of Boyz Dze Tonaz — a popular clothing label — Denford Jiro told NewsDay yesterday that they had nothing to do with the pictures.
“Boyz Dze Tonaz refutes allegations suggesting a plot to discredit the Miss Zimbabwe pageant and its models. These allegations, in our view, are designed to cause deliberate damage to one of Zimbabwe’s leading urban wear brands,” Jiro said.
“We are disappointed by people who are trying to tarnish our brand by implicating us in Miss World Zimbabwe nude pictures saga claiming that we are in the habit of dating models and later leak pictures of them.”
Jiro said they had no relations with those responsible for leaking the pictures and their official WhatsApp group was a social platform that brought together several “like-minded and mature” businesspeople to share progressive business ideas.
“Any suggestions of notoriety are unfounded and must be dismissed with the contempt they deserve,” he said.
Although Jiro confirmed that they had a WhatsApp group under the label Boyz Dze Tonaz — from which the controversial pictures allegedly emanated — he denied reports that the pictures were leaked from their WhatsApp account.
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He said since WhatsApp groups were not registered like websites, there could be a million groups by the name Boyz Dze Tonaz.
“No one among us has the pictures. Personally, I have never seen them. I think it is unfair to link us to those pictures because it is damaging our brand,” he said, adding that their brand had suffered significant damage as a result.
Jiro said they suspected they could be many other people using their brand name in the country, who could have been responsible for leaking the pictures that have stained the Miss World Zimbabwe brand.
The Miss World Zimbabwe nudity storm reached a peak following widespread reports that a group calling itself Boyz Dze Tonaz, whose members reportedly flashed cash around town, was in the habit of dating top models who they scandalised after they were crowned.
According to Miss Zimbabwe Trust regulations, a beauty queen who makes it in the Miss World Zimbabwe pageant is not allowed to be in a romantic relationship during the tenure of her reign.
The Boyz Dze Tonaz crew is alleged to be on a campaign to taint the image of Miss Zimbabwe Trust and its models by leaking their nude pictures after dating them.
“Boyz DzeTonaz clothing line is made up of enterprising business youths who are only concerned about making a living through hard work and not anything else. We are shocked about what is being alleged,” Jiro said.
The group was said to be responsible for the leakage of former Miss World Zimbabwe Thabiso Phiri’s pictures in the nude. Thabiso later resigned.
Boyz Dze Tonaz is an urban wear brand with a range of clothing items including branded caps, T-shirts and vests.
