By Vasco Chaya
Organisers of the Mr Ugly pageant revealed this year’s event is scheduled for November 25 at City Sports Bar in the capital.
David Machowa aka Apama Styles said they were looking forward to another exciting edition of Mr Ugly.
“Our last edition was a success, we received an overwhelming coverage globally and we are ready to host another classy event of the pageant.
“Preparations for this year’s event are at an advanced stage,” Machowa said.
The last edition of the pageant was held in 2015 at the same venue and the 45-year-old unemployed “beast” from Mabvuku suburb of Harare Maison Sere was crowned Mr Ugly 2015 ahead of three-time winner William Masvinu and pocketed $500 for the job well done.
However, Sere told the Daily News in a previous interview that his ugliness was scaring away sponsors instead of vice-versa.
The reigning Mr Ugly said he has lost all hope of earning a living out of his ‘‘rugged but celebrated looks’’ as he failed to get sponsors inform of corporate endorsement deals that characterised his predecessor Masvinu’s tenure in office.
“Apart from the winning grant of $500, we were looking for opportunities in form of corporate endorsements but nothing of that sort came our way.
“Corporates might be willing to engage our services but they are being hampered by the harsh economic situation prevailing in the country,” Nyikadzanzwa told the Daily News.
“Mr Ugly Zimbabwe was wallowing in abject poverty, he was struggling to put food on his table, and he even can’t afford a mobile phone,” said Sere’s manager Tawanda Nyikadzanzwa.
In 2015, Sere’s victory did not go down well with Masvinu who went on to accuse the adjudicators of bias.
“That was not fair, number one iyeye ndakambomurova akaita number four, sei nhasi azohwina. Chii chachinja nhasi? Previously I contested with the winner (Sere) and he was on the fourth position and I won the title. So what has changed now?” questioned Masvinu.
“You made him the winner simply because of his tooth gaps, so does that define ugliness? Do you want me to remove some of my teeth to reclaim my position?” Masvinu said then.
However, the adjudicators — Sharlene Nyakurai, Abigirl Mataranyika and Denzel Masawi — defended their decision.
“We were looking at the appearance, confidence, body structure and the zeal in contestants. All the contestants — top three — were ugly but Masvinu was overconfident and that complacency on his part failed him. He lacked the zeal,” Masawi said then. Daily News
