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Partly as a result of her ill-preparedness, Dhlakama put up a dismal performance after failing to register a single score in seven pre-judging competitions.
On her return home from China, the Bulawayo beauty revealed the startling experience she went through as soon as she landed at Beijing International Airport.
The 23-year old model told of how she struggled to find her way from the airport to getting overnight accommodation not forgetting the language barrier.
After hours of being stranded at the airport she was forced to make a decision and dig into her pocket to find accommodation to put up for the night before flying to Mongolia where she joined other 115 beauties from across globe.
“I bought a dress for about $1 500 in South Africa and I spent $500 on portraits of the Victoria Falls and the flame lilly our national flower that I had to take to the final for my national identity.
“On my return, I had to pay over $800 for luggage and I think my total expenditure could exceed $5 000 which is half the prize money I got for being crowned Miss Zimbabwe,”she said in an earlier interview soon after her arrival last month.
This week, Dhlakama confirmed that the Miss Zimbabwe licence holders reimbursed her the money she used for the Miss World preparations.
“I was refunded money for the final dress, accommodation, flags, and the book on Zimbabwe, the designer dress, excess luggage, make-up kits and swim wear. It almost amounted to half the prize money I initially received,” said the soft-spoken model.
She said she was happy with the response by the Miss Zim Trust.
“I’m happy because I felt it was unfair to me. Well I plan to save some of it and spoil myself with some of it because I know there are some things that the trust had to provide for me,” she said.
The Miss Zimbabwe pageant was twice postponed this year over funding problems after the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) ended its association with the contest. In July the Miss Zim Trust refunded all the models the $100 they had paid for a boot camp.
Dhlakama’s three immediate predecessors enjoyed financial backing from the ZTA and the support ended in November last year when Malaika Mushandu’s Beauty with a Purpose video of her crusade to provide clean drinking water to areas worst affected by cholera earned her a top 15 finish in the finals held in London.
Online Reporter