Mr Ugly contest returns to Beitbridge
By Thupeyo Muleya
BEITBRIDGE – Preparations for the fourth edition of Mr Ugly contest are on course, organisers have said.
The contest, which seeks to choose Zimbabwe’s ugliest face, is scheduled to take place at Pagomo Heights Leisure Centre in August courtesy of Aerowise Entertainment.
The show will be held for the fourth time running with previous shows drawing on average 30 contestants, battling it out for the title.
Show organiser Lovemore Chonzi said preliminary shows will be held this month in Zvishavane, Gwanda and Masvingo to select the finalists who would participate at the main event in Beitbridge.
He said the contest will be held under the theme “A Watch Word for The Wise”. Chonzi said they could not hold the show last year after the contest was “hijacked” by several organisers.
“We want to warn those running our pageant illegally, that tables will be turned this time around. There have been a number of organisers who hijacked the idea and were hosting their own Mr Ugly contests,” he said.
Chonzi said on the eve of the show there will be a men’s bring and share braai party at Pagomo Heights and Leisure Centre. He said they had a new committee chaired by businessman Hudson Mhlanga. The committee was tasked with raising money for road shows in other provinces.
He said they were also engaging a number of media houses with a view of popularising the event which has become an annual phenomenon in the border town.
“We want to cast our net wider and have contestants from across the country participating. The main show will be held in the last week of August and that has since been approved by the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe,” he said.
Chonzi said this year’s pageant promises to be bigger and unique as it draws contestants from across the country. Interested participants should contact Chonzi on 0773 431 322. The list of judges, he said, was still being finalised. In the previous contests women dominated the judges’ panel.
“Entry for contestants is absolutely free and we are looking at men who are very confident about their looks. Basically, the competition is meant for people to have fun and celebrate who they are just like any other contest in the world,” he said.
Chonzi said the show will have four categories which were still being finalised. Previously, the contest had four categories including; casual, smart casual, safari and sports.
In 2011, Bulawayo-based Austin Mbewe (30) was crowned the winner after beating eight others in a tightly contested pageant. Chitova Chezhira from Masvingo came second while Beitbridge-based Kudakwashe Chiramba was third.
For the first time since its inception the contest had two Mr Ugly Personalities in the form of Thomas Magwegwe and Touchmore Denyathi, both from Beitbridge. Initially, a total of 15 men were expected to outclass each other on the ramp, but six others chickened out at the last minute.
