A year after the Hibiscus Festival in 1983, contestants who were successful in the event approached The Fiji Times to express their frustrations about not receiving all promised prizes. On September 19, 1984, the newspaper featured an article highlighting complaints from participants regarding unfulfilled rewards such as a rice cooker, a tracksuit, and vouchers for free meals and hotel stays.
Previously, contestants had signed legal agreements prohibiting them from making public statements against the organizing committee. One of the winners, who wished to remain anonymous due to this agreement, expressed her disappointment. She stated, “We were also disappointed because the value of some of the prizes was grossly inflated by the committee and the donors in advertisements during and before the festival.”
She provided examples, claiming that a four-burner gas stove was advertised at $780, while its actual worth was about $500, and a washing machine was listed at $600 but was actually valued at only $120. The winner lamented, “It was very disappointing, and the worst thing is that we are still waiting for some of our prizes.”
After the prize-giving ceremony, when the contestants inquired about ten missing prizes, the prizes committee convened a meeting and assured them that the remaining awards would be delivered soon. However, the contestants stated they are still waiting for these prizes.
The Fiji Times reported committee chairman Maganlal Dahya confirming that some prizes had not been collected from sponsors. He identified the uncollected prizes primarily as cinema tickets, a luncheon voucher at the Southern Cross, and a weekend stay voucher at Hotel Tanoa. Mr. Dahya explained that he was instructed by the executive committee of the Fiji Hibiscus Festival Association not to collect several other prizes, including the rice cooker and the tracksuit, which were to be gathered by other committee members.
Mr. Dahya stated he was unaware of the fate of these uncollected prizes. “I collected the rest of the prizes and handed them over to president Mrs. Shahima Stoddart and others,” he said, noting that he was not involved in the distribution process.
In response, Mrs. Stoddart claimed she had no role in the prize distribution. “I was only the president in 1983 and had nothing to do with the prizes,” she asserted. “If various committee chairmen like Maganlal Dahya can’t do their job, then why come to me?”
Annie Raymond was crowned Miss Hibiscus in 1983, with Debbie Francis Jack as the first runner-up and Rosie Patel as the second runner-up. Roslyn Gibson was named Miss Charity.