daniel chigunwe
Tafara Chibanda
SAKHILE Dube was overwhelmed after she received a warm homecoming reception at tRobert Mugabe International Airport yesterday evening on her return from the Miss Universe pageant.
The 27-year-old model, who made it into the top 30 in Mexico City, was clearly moved by the love which her fans showed her on her return home.
She was praised for her fine performance on the international stage and some fans said she had represented the country with distinction.
“I want to thank Zimbabweans for their love and support. Everything that happened in Mexico, I could have not done it without you.
“Miss Universe experience in Mexico was one of the books I was sharing and spending time with 128 beautiful ladies from different backgrounds and our stories were different and we got an opportunity to be able to share our stories with each other.
“I want to thank our director for giving me this opportunity,” she said.
Speaking during a media briefing, upon arrival, Colonel Miniyothabo Baloyi-Chiwenga, who is the patron of the Miss Universe Zimbabwe, said Sakhile represented every girl child who dreams of being a model.
“As the Miss Universe organisation we come here with pride celebrating the incredible achievement that Sakhile did in Mexico where she was representing Zimbabwe in the 73rd edition of Miss Universe.
“She got a place in the top 30, which we don’t take for granted, because the biggest powers in the pageantry did not have money to be in the top 30, so we celebrate today with pride her placement in the top 30.
“It is marking the beginning of a revival of the pageantry in Zimbabwe whereby when she was there she was not focusing on herself, she was carrying the whole of Zimbabwe on her shoulders, she was carrying every girl child who has aspirations to perform in the modeling industry,” she said.
She won Miss Supranational Africa last year and secured titles as Miss Earth Zimbabwe (2022) and Miss Tourism Zimbabwe.
Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark was crowned Miss Universe 2024 with Nigeria beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina being voted for the first runner-up.
Online Reporter