A win will always be a win for 50-year-old William Masvinu who recently won Mr Ugly Zimbabwe 2024. Masvinu is no stranger to this pageant having won the same title four times in the past, his first win coming in 2012. He is proud of his looks and always looks forward to each year for him to compete in the pageant now over a decade old.
No other country in Africa holds a ‘Mr Ugly’ pageant except Zimbabwe which is unique and equally controversial. The controversy brewed by this pageant isn’t just enough to stop its annual editions yet.
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What Happened at Mr Ugly Zimbabwe 2024?
Masvinu, 50, won his fifth title as Mr Ugly Zimbabwe 2024 and this year’s pageant wasn’t without its usual controversy. Some of the contestants disagreed with the organizers over Masivinu’s victory as the ugliest man in Zimbabwe. They said that he is not in any way uglier than they are, yet he was named the winner. Nevertheless, the 50-year-old maintained that history can tell that he is the only man in Zimbabwe with unsightly looks.
William Masvinu is Mr Ugly Zimbabwe 2024 winner. This is his fifth title after winning it for the first time in 2012. Photo/Ghafla
The Epworth-born Zimbabwean noted that winning the pageant four times is a statement of his horrid looks which he is proud of. His previous losses such as in 2015 made him feel terrible. Masivinu took so long to come to terms with losing the title to another contestant who he felt was ‘cuter’ and didn’t deserve the win. He lost to Maison Sere and held on for two years before the next pageant in 2017. Organizers of the event bowed to pressure and cancelled the event in 2016.
Prize Money for Ugliest Man in Zimbabwe?
Mr Ugly Zimbabwe 2024 winner walked off with $500 in prize money and also got a cow. Initially, the prize was $100 but the kitty increased recently on the accord of being impactful to the winner. Speaking at the closing ceremony held in Harare, Masvinu stated that he is motivated to appear on the international stage as the ugliest man in Zimbabwe.
Who is William Masvinu?
Masvinu is a 50-year-old man popular for his many titles as Zimbabwe’s ugliest man. He never takes offence to anyone who describes him as ugly. He likes it because he has learnt to live with his looks which he states that he could not do anything about.
“I’m naturally ugly,” he averred. Moreover, he is a husband who lives with his family in Epworth where he plies his trade as a tout. The five-time pageant winner was jobless for many years until a few years ago when landed a touting job. Zimbabweans are fond of him now; they describe him as a hardworking man.
William Masvinu is Mr Ugly Zimbabwe 2024 winner. This is his fifth title after winning it for the first time in 2012. Photo/SoundCloud
How Do You Win Mr Ugly Contest?
A contestant needs adequate preparation for the event just as contestants in other beauty contests do. David Machowa alias Apama Styles is the lead organizer of this event in Zimbabwe. He explained that contestants prepare in how they present themselves and their attitude too. Apama Styles disqualified and imposed a future ban on Masvinu from the pageant in 2017 citing intimidation and lack of growth. He said that he [Masvinu] had won the title four times and he was still pushing the card. Additionally, he remarked that some contestants felt intimidated by the Epworth resident who developed ‘an attitude of victory in every pageant’.
“We are going to stop Masvinu as we cannot continue running with the same face representing the pageant. We need to give others a chance. He will contest in bigger pageants such as Mr Ugly Africa. Locally, Masvinu has proved that he has no competition.
After some consultations with key stakeholders, we have learnt that Masvinu is scaring other contestants to compete in the pageant, hence the idea to retire him. We want the pageant to grow,” Apama told Zimbabwean publication Pindula.
Masvinu appealed the decision stating that those who won the contest weren’t half as ugly as he was. He gave an example of Sere who won in 2015 noting that his ugliness was only visible when he laughed. He stood firm saying that he would only accept defeat if there emerged an uglier person than him. His insistence had the ban overturned and he won a fifth title of Mr Ugly Zimbabwe 2024.
Although several quarters have called for the cancellation of the event, the Zimbabwean Tourism Authority remains a key sponsor of the pageant.
