I bet upon hearing of a contest called ‘Mr Ugly’, you wonder who would sign up for it? Yet, we have an abundance of competition to the extent that people are fighting over the final verdict.

But it is a $500 prize in a country with a shredded economy- so you can understand why.

Zimbabwe’s fourth annual Mr Ugly contest was held in Harare on Saturday, and for the first time in the history of the pageant, a new winner was crowned.

Maison Sere took the crown, beating William Masvinu, who has won all three prior editions of the competition. However, the camp of the runner-up cried foul, saying the judges were not fair in their assessment- claiming Sere only won because he has teeth missing in his mouth.

“I am naturally ugly. He is not. He is ugly only when he opens his mouth,” Masvinu angrily gesticulated.

“Do we have to lose our teeth to win? This is cheating,” shouted another contestant, Patrick Mupereki.

But Sere dismissed their complaints. According to him, he simply won because he is uglier than they are.

“I want to thank God for winning this title, last time I came fourth. I just want to thank the judges for recognising me as the winner.” he said.

“They should just accept that I am uglier than them,” he added.

“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.”