By: Zanele Makola
Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina is a 23-year-old law student, model, and beauty pageant contestant who is part of Miss South Africa 2024. She made it into the top 10 finalists, making her eligible to compete for the title of Miss South Africa 2024. The model is believed to have a Zulu South African mother and a Nigerian father.
Since Adetshina was revealed as a finalist in July, she has faced accusations of not being a South African citizen, with the public urging the Miss South Africa organization to ban her from competing. Critics argue that she is representing Nigeria in South Africa.
Stefanie De Saude Darbandi, a leading immigration specialist from DSD Attorneys, stated that the South African Citizenship Act of 1995 outlines the criteria for citizenship, which was significantly revised post-January 2013. The Act now uniformly grants citizenship to individuals born to a South African parent, regardless of where they are born. “Despite her Nigerian heritage through her father, Chidimma was born in Soweto and has a South African mother, thereby fulfilling the criteria for citizenship,” she added.
Minister of Sport, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has called for an investigation into Adetshina’s national allegiance. “If she is indeed a South African citizen after the investigation, then we wish her luck on the global stage,” said McKenzie.
Adetshina posted on her TikTok account with a group of Nigerian men celebrating her success as part of the finalists of Miss South Africa 2024. That video angered many, as they believe she identifies more with Nigeria than South Africa and promotes the Nigerian flag on her social media platforms. Her response to the comments made under that video was seen as troubling for someone representing South Africa.
