Former Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina Appears In South African Court To Fight Deportation After Arrest
Former Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina Appears In South African Court To Fight Deportation After Arrest
The court proceedings mark the latest development in the immigration dispute surrounding the beauty queen, whose nationality became the subject of intense public debate during her participation in the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant.
Former Miss South Africa contestant and Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 winner, Chidimma Adetshina, has appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court to challenge her deportation from South Africa following her arrest over allegations that she is in the country illegally.
Adetshina is expected to file an affidavit before the court detailing the steps she has taken to regularise her immigration status after she was arrested on June 6.
The court proceedings mark the latest development in the immigration dispute surrounding the beauty queen, whose nationality became the subject of intense public debate during her participation in the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant.
Adetshina, who was born in Soweto, South Africa, to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, had initially contested for the Miss South Africa 2024 crown before withdrawing from the competition amid controversy surrounding her family’s citizenship status.
Her withdrawal followed an investigation by South African authorities into allegations concerning her mother’s identity and citizenship documentation. The controversy also sparked widespread social media attacks directed at Adetshina because of her Nigerian heritage, despite the fact that she was born in South Africa and had met the eligibility requirements for the beauty pageant.
In August 2024, the South African government stated that Adetshina’s mother, at the time the contestant was a finalist in the Miss South Africa competition, may have been involved in identity theft.
Despite the controversy, Adetshina continued her pageantry career outside South Africa. She later accepted an invitation to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, where she represented Taraba State and emerged as the winner, earning the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the global Miss Universe competition.
Her participation on behalf of Nigeria proved historic. At the 73rd Miss Universe pageant held in Mexico City, Adetshina became the first Nigerian contestant to finish as the first runner-up, marking Nigeria’s highest-ever placement in the international beauty contest.
In November 2024, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) commended Adetshina for her outstanding performance at the Miss Universe competition.
The commission noted that although she was rejected in South Africa, she embraced the opportunity to represent Nigeria and excelled on the global stage.
Her success drew widespread praise from Nigerians at home and in the diaspora, with many describing her achievement as a testament to resilience in the face of adversity.
The current legal challenge, however, shifts attention from her pageant accomplishments to her immigration status in South Africa.
The affidavit she is expected to submit before the Cape Town Regional Court is anticipated to outline the efforts she has made to regularise her stay in the country as she seeks to prevent her deportati
The outcome of the case could determine whether Adetshina is permitted to remain in South Africa or faces removal, bringing another chapter to a controversy that has drawn attention across Africa since her rise to prominence in international pageantry.
