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Bongani Dhlakama

Showbiz Reporter
Bongani Dhlakama who was crowned Miss Zimbabwe in 2012 seems to be in denial that she no longer has the honour as she has developed a soft spot for her four-year-old sash. The beauty was, at the weekend, spotted donning it at the Miss Africa Zimbabwe pageant held in Bulawayo. This has however made her an object of mockery with most people saying she is trying too hard to remain relevant in the modelling industry, especially considering that she did not make much of an impact during her stint.

Dhlakama managed to confuse some at the Miss Africa Zim pageant into thinking she was the reigning Miss World Zimbabwe Queen, simply because the Miss Zimbabwe Trust has made it difficult for Zimbabweans to know their queen through constant dethronements. It was only after closely interacting with Dhlakama that they realised her sash was written Miss Zimbabwe 2012.

To her defence, Dhlakama said organisers of the Miss Africa Zimbabwe pageant had asked her to attend the event in her Miss Zimbabwe sash. “I was invited to the function and organisers told me to come wearing the Miss Zimbabwe sash,” Dhlakama said. She, however, was not the only former Miss Zimbabwe at the pageant as Lorraine Maphala and Samantha Tshuma were also in attendance but didn’t have theirs on.

Dhlakama however, cannot wholly be blamed for donning the sash as the pageant in which she contested – Miss Zimbabwe – folded up. This is after the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority gave the late Miss Zimbabwe Trust patron – Kiki Divaris back the licence to host the event.

Divaris hosted one event before handing over organisation of the contest to Marry Chiwenga who refused to recognise Dhlakama as a queen saying the rebranded pageant – Miss World Zimbabwe – was a new event.

Many had however hoped that Dhlakama who had gone for two years without a successor would hand over her crown and sash to the lady who won at the new pageant, but she was not invited to the event.