Beauty Queen Chidimma Adetshina Faces Identity Crisis as South Africa Moves to Revoke Her Documents

Chidimma Adetshina, a beauty queen and law student, is embroiled in a heated nationality dispute as South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs plans to revoke her South African identity and travel documents.

Government Announces Document Revocation

The Department of Home Affairs disclosed to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday that both Chidimma and her mother will have their identity documents invalidated. According to Tommy Makhode, a senior official at the department, the decision was reached after they failed to meet the Monday deadline to justify why they should retain their South African citizenship.

Neither Chidimma nor her mother has commented on the move to revoke their papers.

Makhode explained that the Hawks, South Africa’s special investigative unit for serious crimes, found the case to be an instance of fraud. The matter is now with prosecutors, who will decide the next steps.

Pageant Controversy and Investigation

Chidimma came under scrutiny after advancing to the finals of the Miss South Africa pageant. Questions arose about her eligibility, as her father is Nigerian and her mother reportedly has Mozambican roots. In August, the department revealed concerns that Chidimma’s mother may have used identity theft to gain South African citizenship.

Although officials acknowledged that Chidimma couldn’t have been involved in her mother’s alleged actions since she was a child at the time, the controversy led to her withdrawal from the competition.

Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, CHIDIMMA ADETSHINA

Chidimma’s Success in Nigeria and Ongoing Backlash

Despite the setback in South Africa, Chidimma was invited to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, where she emerged as the winner. However, her victory sparked xenophobic criticism in South Africa, prompting her to share with the BBC that the backlash had been emotionally overwhelming, and she would require therapy to recover.

Chidimma, who has said she was born in Soweto, told the BBC that she identifies as both “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian.”

Representing Nigeria at Miss Universe 2023

Chidimma has just arrived in Mexico, where she will represent Nigeria in the Miss Universe competition on November 16, 2023. She will compete against contestants from around the globe, including Mia le Roux, this year’s Miss South Africa winner.

Written by Boom RadioNG