The Miss South Africa 2024 pageant has been hit with controversy as contestant Chidimma Adetshina faces allegations of citizenship fraud.
An investigation by the Department of Home Affairs has uncovered prima facie evidence suggesting that Adetshina’s mother may have committed identity theft to secure her daughter’s South African citizenship.
According to a statement from South Africa Home Affairs,
“prima facie reasons exist to believe that fraud and identity theft may have been committed by the person recorded in Home Affairs records as Chidimma Adetshina’s mother.”
This revelation came after Miss SA officials, with Chidimma’s consent, requested verification of her citizenship, which came into question after she advanced to the Top 16.
Social media users have been quick to scrutinize Chidimma’s eligibility, questioning whether the Johannesburg born contestant, who has a Nigerian father and a mother with Mozambican roots, should remain in the pageant. However, Miss SA organizers have maintained that Chidimma holds South African citizenship and is eligible to compete.
The investigation has also highlighted the plight of an innocent South African woman whose identity may have been stolen as part of the alleged fraud, preventing her from registering her own child. Home Affairs has stated that Chidimma, being a baby at the time of the alleged fraud in 2001, could not have participated in any unlawful activities.
Chidimma Adetshina, a 23-year-old law student and advocate against violence toward women and children, initially flew under the radar until reaching the Top 13 of the competition. Her situation has ignited broader discussions on xenophobia, Afrophobia, and discrimination within South Africa, exposing deep-seated tensions in the country.
With the Miss South Africa pageant’s 66th edition set to take place on August 10, 2024, where the winner will represent the country at Miss Universe 2024 in Mexico, the pressure on Adetshina’s eligibility is mounting as the investigation continues.
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