MIMI KALINDA

She's sexy, slim and sleek in her skin-tight black suit and high heels and she comes across like someone you would think twice about messing with. That might be because Mimi Kalinda, known to Channel O addicts as the face of The Fuse, has the weight of the law behind her. This final-year law student knows exactly who she is and where she is heading. Mimi oozes confidence and charm. She strikes a pose in front of the camera and waits for the telltale click. As soon as the shot is taken, she slips seamlessly back into her conversation with the makeup artist without losing her stride. This 21-year-old Congo-born beauty has the brains to match her looks and she has no doubts about where she is heading. Hard work and talent are the cornerstones of her life. "I believe that I can define my own destiny," she says before throwing her head back and pouting for the camera again. Homegirl Mimi was born in the Congo in 1978, the oldest of a family of five girls. At the age of eight she left the Congo for Europe, and that is where her big adventure began. "My family moved to Belgium because of business," she says. "I went to school there, which was hard for a young African kid, but I got used to it. Then later we moved again, this time to Portugal, and I had to learn to readjust quickly. I think that it taught me to be independent and strong. In 1990 my family moved to South Africa because my mother was studying to be a doctor and she needed to specialise. We didn't want to go back to Europe or go to America, so we decided to come to South Africa so she could complete her studies here." Mimi finished her schooling in South Africa before enrolling at the University of the Witwatersrand for her law degree.

During her studies her mother and sisters moved to America, and she took the decision to stay behind and finish her education alone in Johannesburg. "I realised that there comes a time when you have to let go and struggle by yourself. You have to stand up as an individual, separate from your family, so that you grow strong," she says. Her decision ultimately paid off.

Mimi started taking advantage of her stunning looks at the tender age of 13, when she began to model. "I modelled for a while and made a lot of money for a kid that age," she says. "But after a while I realised that it was interfering with my school work, so I stopped." However, when Mimi saw Channel O on television for the first time, she knew that she would be heading back into the entertainment industry. "I noticed that Channel O was an entirely African channel, made for Africans by Africans, and I really wanted to be part of it. I saw that the presenters were from all over Africa and I thought it was good that they encouraged their presenters to speak in all the languages of Africa. Since I speak English, French and Portuguese, I thought that I would be good for Channel O because I can speak to people all over Africa in their own language." She went for an audition, and nailed the job down with her sledgehammer personality.

"Channel O provides such a great platform for African youth," she says. "It is the only channel that gives music from this continent a platform to be discovered and encouraged. I am proud to present The Fuse because it's an African music show, and I know that what we are doing is already making a difference in Africa. It's a roots thang," she smiles.

Mimi is grateful for her position to act as a representative for the youth of Africa. "It's good that the Channel O presenters represent the diversity that makes Africa such a special continent. It is a pressure to be a role model because sometimes I worry if I can live up to everyone's expectations, but I plan to do my very best."

"I rely on God to help me to be the best person I can be," she says with sincerity. "I am a very spiritual person and I pray a lot because it gives me direction in my life. But I also rely on the people who have made me who I am and the advice they give me." Mimi's role model is her mother. "She made me who I am. She is an incredibly strong woman who stood up for herself and achieved what few African women achieve. African women have had such a difficult past and have had so many obstacles placed in their way, and I really admire women who overcome these obstacles," she says.

For Mimi, her connection to Africa is an important part of her personality, but she also believes that Africans need to see themselves as global citizens. "I have a deep-rooted connection to Africa, but I am also a woman of the world. I am multi-lingual and multi-cultural and I believe that music and youth culture can bring people together, not only in Africa, but all over the world. Channel O has a big role to play in this. We are about fun, music and entertainment, but we are also about awareness and consciousness," she says. "I think Channel O can contribute to the African Renaissance. Every continent goes through periods of change and growth. I think that the fact that democracy and freedom are on the rise in Africa shows that Africa is asserting itself and moving into a phase that will bring a better life for people on this continent. It's already started."

"I want a big, African family and a successful career in law. When I'm old I want to be able to look back and see that I have made strides for African women in the entertainment industry and in the legal field. I want to be a leader," she says with conviction. This is one young woman who is not going to sit idly and let her life pass her by. As she leaves the set of the photo shoot to go back to University where a full day of hard work and concentration await her, she puts her shades on and says goodbye to the Channel O crew. Then she strides out into the sunshine with the confidence of a multi-faceted career woman. Determined, glamorous and headed for stardom.