Chidimma Adetshina: “I Was Born in South Africa, and I Have Been Treated Unfairly”
Beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina, who is facing efforts by South African authorities to remove her from the country, has maintained that she was born in South Africa and accused authorities of treating her unfairly and overlooking important aspects of her case.
South African authorities have continued with legal steps aimed at removing Adetshina from the country after questions were raised in 2024 about her citizenship and immigration status.
Adetshina, who is 25 years old, has a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother. Her South African identity documents were cancelled after questions emerged about her nationality while she was participating in the Miss South Africa pageant in 2024.
She subsequently left South Africa, but was arrested in June this year after allegedly re-entering the country unlawfully. She was later released with a warning.
A court hearing concerning an application to have her detained was postponed until next year following proceedings at the Cape Town court on Wednesday.
Adetshina Says Authorities Are Using Her as an Example
Speaking after Wednesday’s court proceedings, Adetshina said she believed South African authorities were attempting to use her case as an example.
She said:
“I want to remind everyone that I was born in South Africa. I have submitted an application through the proper legal channels to establish my status and the citizenship I hold.”
The beauty queen also argued that xenophobia and unfair treatment should not determine how people are treated, apparently referring to protesters who gathered outside the court demanding that she be removed from the country.
The protest was organised by March and March, a group that campaigns for the removal of foreigners who do not have valid immigration documents from South Africa.
Some protesters also reportedly pursued Adetshina's vehicle as she left the court.
From Miss South Africa to Miss Universe Nigeria
Adetshina, who was studying law at the time, left South Africa in 2024 after controversy surrounding her nationality intensified.
She was subsequently invited to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant and went on to win the title.
Her participation in the Nigerian pageant came after she had withdrawn from the Miss South Africa competition as questions over her citizenship and family background continued to grow.
South African Home Affairs Challenges Her Status
During Wednesday’s proceedings, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs argued that Adetshina had applied for permission to enter South Africa while she was in Nigeria and had obtained Nigerian passports for herself and her child.
Adetshina, however, has continued to maintain that South Africa is her home and that she was born there.
The case has now been adjourned until February 2027, allowing her legal challenge against the Home Affairs Department’s decision to remove her from the country to continue.
She remains free while the legal proceedings are ongoing.
Questions Over Her Mother’s Identity
Adetshina's South African identity documents and passport were cancelled in 2024 following allegations that her mother, Anabela Rungo, had improperly used another person's identity to obtain South African citizenship for her daughter.
The investigation into Adetshina’s citizenship began after she became one of the leading contestants in the Miss South Africa pageant.
Questions subsequently emerged about her family background, including her mother’s Mozambican origins and her father’s Nigerian nationality.
As the controversy intensified, Adetshina eventually withdrew from the competition.
Adetshina Maintains She Was Born in Soweto
In previous interviews, Adetshina has consistently stated that she was born in Soweto, near Johannesburg, and grew up in Cape Town.
Her latest comments indicate that she intends to continue challenging the decision against her through the courts while maintaining that her connection to South Africa goes back to her birth and upbringing there.