2024 Miss Universe Nigeria and celebrated beauty queen, Chidimma Adetshina, is facing the loss of her South African citizenship and travel documents amidst an intense nationality controversy.
The Department of Home Affairs launched an investigation into Adetshina’s status after she became a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant, only to face backlash over her eligibility due to her Mozambican and Nigerian heritage.
Africa News reports that the scrutiny intensified following allegations that Adetshina’s mother may have committed “identity theft” to obtain South African nationality, a claim that ultimately led to Adetshina’s withdrawal from the Miss South Africa competition in August.
Following her exit, the law student accepted an invitation to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria, a decision that fueled an upsurge of xenophobic criticism online.
Adetshina later told the BBC she would “need therapy to recover” from the vitriol.
As of Tuesday, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs informed a parliamentary committee that Adetshina and her mother would lose their documents, having failed to meet a deadline to justify their citizenship claims.
Tommy Makhode, a senior official in the department, stated that their case has been referred to the Hawks—a police unit handling serious crimes—who concluded it was a “case of fraud.”
Makhode noted that further action would depend on prosecutors’ decisions.
Amid the backlash, Adetshina maintains a strong sense of dual identity. In an interview with the BBC, she expressed feeling “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian.”
Adetshina, who was born in Soweto, has recently arrived in Mexico, where she will represent Nigeria in the Miss Universe competition on November 16, competing alongside international contestants, including Mia le Roux, the reigning Miss South Africa.
The agency reported that the ongoing controversy touches on broader issues of identity, nationality, and xenophobia in South Africa.