"Mister Ugly" contest, upsetting supporters of reigning champion and
prompting claims of cheating.
Judges on Saturday chose 42-year-old Mison Sere, citing his numerous
missing front teeth and a wide range of grotesque facial expressions,
over William Masvinu, who had held the title since 2012.
Masvinu and his supporters mobbed the judges upon hearing their
decision, claiming that Sere was "too handsome" to win and his
ugliness wasn't natural since it was based on missing teeth.
"I am naturally ugly. He is not. He is ugly only when he opens his
mouth," maintained Masvinu, gesturing at his rival.
"Do we have to lose our teeth to win? This is cheating," shouted
another contestant, Patrick Mupereki.
There was pushing and shoving as the results were announced and
insults were hurled at the judges.
Sere dismissed the critics as just "sore losers" as he pocketed the
$500 in winnings.
"They should just accept that I am uglier than them," he said. "I hope
to get a TV contract. I already moved around schools performing and
showcasing my ugliness so this is a chance to make it on TV."
Pageant organizer David Machowa originally told the Associated Press
that he began the contest to remove the stigma of ugliness.
"Looks are God given," he said. "We should all be proud of who we are."
The pageant involved three rounds of modelling, with individual and
group struts down a catwalk of a Harare nightclub. This year's
competition attracted a record number of 36 entries, compared to just
five in 2012 when Masvinu began his winning streak.
Beauty pageants are popular in this southern African country and even
though they are typically for women, scandal is not unusual.
Earlier this year, Miss Zimbabwe winner Emily Kachote faced a backlash
on social media, with Zimbabweans calling her ugly and undeserving of
the crown.
She was later forced to step down when just two weeks into her reign,
images surfaced of her posing nude — which incidentally also brought
down her predecessor.
-NBC NEWS
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