The Mr South Africa pageant is meant to be a search for the perfect ambassador for South Africa but has turned into a social media circus.
This year’s finalists are having a rough time convincing the public that they are worthy of the title and it could spell disaster for the EIGHT Cape Town finalists.
The Top 20 Mr SA finalists were announced on social media yesterday but instead of inspiring admiration, they caused a meltdown on Twitter as mense questioned their looks, likening them to bandiete.
According to the Mr South Africa website, the characteristics that define Mr SA include excellence, integrity, professionalism and compassion.
On Wednesday, a now deleted-tweet was posted on the Official Mr South Africa Twitter page announcing the 20 finalists for this year’s competition.
The poster of the finalists include headshots of each finalist in a black shirt.
But Twitter users were not impressed with this year’s crop of hunks and mense went bos making memes about the finalists, even labelling them the “Top 20 Pollsmoor”.
Facebook user Ernest posted: “As dit die top 20 is, wil julle sê daar was ander wat ingeskryf het, maar k**ker gelyk het? Jirrre.”
@nyeleti_thabi tweeted: “This Mr South Africa top 20 list looks like something Crimewatch would release. Only ONE guy looks remotely cute.”
eDubane tweeted: “Mr South Africa child molester edition”, while Man’s Not Barry Roux commented: “From #MenAreTrash to Mr South Africa Top 20 finalists of men looking like FBI most wanted men. South Africa is alive with possibilities.”
The Mr South Africa organisers hit back on Twitter and said the pageant is not about looks but about social awareness: “Hang on, we never said you need to be Sexy to be Mr SA. All we ask is dedication to a better SA and a good heart. If that’s not good enough for our country, then we don’t know what else to give you.”
They removed the Top 20 announcement from social media because it drew too much negative comments.
The Cape Town contestants are Heinrich Gabler from Welgemoed, Godfrey Dirkse from Blackheath, Alfonzo Solomon from Heathfield, Ayabulela Tshotyana from Walmer Estate, Rocco van Rooyen from Stellenberg, Imraan Adjiet from Gordon’s Bay, Clayton Peters from Parow and Liviwe Gobeni who lives in the CBD.