South Africa to Revoke Identity and Travel Documents of Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina

South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs announced on Tuesday that it would revoke the identity and travel documents of Chidimma Adetshina, the current Miss Universe Nigeria. This decision follows an investigation into her eligibility for South African citizenship, sparked by her participation as a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant.

Adetshina’s eligibility has come under scrutiny due to her family background—her mother has Mozambican roots, while her father is Nigerian. The controversy intensified in August when the Department of Home Affairs revealed that Adetshina’s mother might have committed “identity theft” to obtain South African citizenship, prompting Adetshina to withdraw from the Miss South Africa competition.

Following her withdrawal, Adetshina, a law student, went on to win the title of Miss Universe Nigeria, having been invited to participate by the organizers. The situation has ignited significant backlash, with allegations of xenophobia surfacing in South Africa. Adetshina stated in a BBC interview that she may need therapy to cope with the fallout from the incident.

Tommy Makhode, the top civil servant at the Department of Home Affairs, confirmed the decision to a parliamentary committee, stating that both Adetshina and her mother failed to meet a deadline to justify their eligibility for South African identity. Makhode further indicated that the case has been referred to the Hawks, a specialized police unit tasked with investigating serious crimes, which has concluded that the situation involves fraud. Authorities are currently awaiting further instructions from prosecutors on the next steps.

While neither Adetshina nor her mother has publicly commented on the revocation of their documents, Makhode clarified that Adetshina could not be implicated in her mother’s alleged wrongdoing, as she was an infant at the time.

Born in Soweto, South Africa, Adetshina has expressed her dual identity, affirming her pride in being “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian.” She recently arrived in Mexico to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe competition, scheduled for November 16, where she will compete against contestants from around the world, including Mia le Roux, the reigning Miss South Africa.