South Africa to Revoke Identity Documents of Beauty Queen

Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina Addresses Critics, Emphasizes Hard Work Over Pity

Chidimma Adetshina, a beauty queen at the center of a contentious nationality dispute, is set to have her South African identity and travel documents revoked by the Department of Home Affairs. This decision follows her participation as a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant, which ignited criticism regarding her eligibility due to her diverse heritage—her mother is of Mozambican descent and her father is Nigerian.

The investigation into Adetshina’s status intensified after she withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition in August, amid allegations that her mother may have committed “identity theft” to obtain South African citizenship. The controversy escalated further when Adetshina went on to secure the title of Miss Universe Nigeria after being invited to participate by the pageant organizers.

This situation has not only led to questions about her nationality but has also fueled xenophobic sentiments in South Africa. In a previous interview with the BBC, Adetshina expressed that she would need therapy to cope with the backlash she faced.

On Tuesday, during a parliamentary committee session, Tommy Makhode, a senior official at the Department of Home Affairs, announced the intention to revoke the identity documents of both Adetshina and her mother. He revealed that they failed to meet a deadline set by the department to provide justification for their eligibility to retain their documents. Makhode also stated that the case had been forwarded to the Hawks, a specialized police unit that tackles serious crimes, and noted that investigators had concluded it was a case of fraud.

Despite the department’s earlier remarks that Adetshina could not be implicated in her mother’s alleged unlawful actions due to her young age at the time, the legal proceedings are moving forward. Adetshina, who claims to have been born in Soweto, South Africa, has consistently identified herself as both “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian.”

Currently, Adetshina is in Mexico, where she is set to represent Nigeria at the upcoming Miss Universe competition on November 16. She will compete alongside various contestants from around the world, including Mia le Roux, who won the Miss South Africa title this year.