South African contender withdraws as beauty pageant descends in more farce over Adetshina's identity
Born to a Nigerian father and a mother of Mozambican descent, Chidimma Adetshina has faced a barrage of criticism.
Miss South Africa entrant Chidimma Adetshina has withdrawal from the contest after she attracted scrutiny over her nationality.
She confirmed the move on Thursday, a day after the Department of Home Affairs announced that it had obtained information that her mother might have committed fraud and identity theft to support nationality claims.
The 23-year-old model, born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, has been in the eye of a storm over her eligibility to take part in the competition.
“Being part of the Miss South Africa 2024 competition has been an amazing journey. However, after much careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the competition for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I,” read her statement.
Home Affairs says it has broadened its investigation into the nationality issue, targeting officials eho may have aided it.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said the Miss SA contestant, however, was not to blame in the nationality saga because because she was an infant at the time the mother is said to have committed the fraud.
"The department has broadened its investigation to identify and pursue any officials involved in the alleged fraudulent scheme, and is obtaining legal advice on the implications of the alleged fraudulent activity on Adetshina's citizenship status; and upon the completion of the investigation, Home Affairs intends to press criminal charges against all implicated parties."
The 2024 pageant is set to take place on Saturday.
Adetshina has been met with vile abuse on social media since she stormed into the final of the pageant.
She caused a stir when she mentioned in her Miss SA entry video that her parents were not South African citizens, raising some eyebrows. Under South African laws, a child born on South African soil becomes a citizen only if at least one of the parents is a citizen or holds permanent residence.
South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, also questioned Adetshina's background due to her Nigerian surname.
