Motorists drove along the streets of the capital blowing their horns, others poured onto the streets singing, and fire crackers were heard all over the city to celebrate Cherise's victory.

Zambia's leading female musician, Jane Osborne, has released a song in appreciation of Cherise's outstanding performance in the BBA show.

And a newspaper quoted Vice President Nevers Mumba as saying the young woman had done the southern African country proud.

Zambian and some South African newspapers had predicted her victory.

All the three daily newspapers in Zambia yesterday headlined with Cherise's victory, which even overrode the on-going strike by some 120 000 civil servants, which has badly affected the economy.

'Cherise does it for Zambia', screamed the main headline in the state-run Times of Zambia.

The Zambia Daily Mail ran the headline 'Zambia's Cherise wins BBA'.

And independent daily, The Post, quoted Vice President Mumba as saying Cherise has made Zambia proud.

Radio stations have been playing songs in praise of the young woman and have opened telephone lines for live phone-in shows which have seen listeners calling in to congratulate Cherise.

For Zambia, an impoverished country, Makubale's victory was a welcome distraction from nationwide strikes and heavy debts.

And her prize money of US$100 000 is an enormous fortune where most people make less a dollar a day.

When she was announced as the winner of BBA - the first show of its kind in Africa - Cherise shed tears of joy and sunk to her knees.

The show itself has had a less rapturous welcome in some quarters, drawing criticism from some religious groups that petitioned the Zambian government to remove BBA from state television, arguing that the reality show was immoral and against African values.

But Vice President Mumba, who is also a well-known TV-evangelist, was quoted by The Post newspaper as saying of Cherise: "She is a role model, she proved to be a hard worker, caring about others, and she showed true African spirit".

Zambians have already started planning her welcome home.

"We should all go to the airport to give her the best welcome that she deserves," said Jack Chola, a banker who said he would take a day off tomorrow to be part of the crowd at the airport.

Cherise will address a news conference in Lusaka and appear on state TV before taking up interviews with radio stations based in the capital.

She will then fly to her home town of Kitwe, a Zambian mining town about 400 km from Lusaka.

- Nampa-AFP-AP

Local News Headlines Of The Last 48 Hours

•  Okahandja strangler gets off on robbery charge
•  Another cold front coming
•  Blackouts hit northern Namibia
•  Speed cops not licensed to fine
•  War orphans want veterans' benefits
•  Security guards to get pay rise
•  Resort workers jumped the gun, NWR says
•  Police blamed for increase in drug abuse in the South
•  Pay increase for 'sittings'
•  Cops want to speak to Jimmy
•  Kobi's Nam investments total N$70m
•  TransNamib workers want board fired
•  N$100 000 a month for CEO
•  Zimbabwe exiles on warpath against Mugabe
•  Farmers agree to leave Kavango
•  Guilty verdict in city mugging murder trial
•  Former TCL workers want High Court action on pensions
•  Payback time at Keetmans
•  Wanaheda woman shot
•  Complaints about Queen Sophia resettlement farm
•  Erongo's crystal diggers get national acknowledgement
•  Medical fraternity focuses on emergencies
•  Car dealer shuts doors
•  300 can see again
•  A Matter Of Fact
•  Govt 'forgot' about SA bursaries
•  Wedding turns into mourning
•  Double murder suspect found guilty as charged
•  Swapo targets school head