The newly crowned Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, Chidimma Adetshina. Picture: Instagram
ActionSA says it has written an urgent letter to the Department of Home Affairs, demanding answers on how former Miss SA contestant Chidimma Adetshina’s mother travelled to Nigeria.
According to ActionSA’s chief whip, Lerato Ngobeni, Adetshina’s mother was spotted during a television broadcast of the Miss Universe Nigeria event.
Ngobeni blasted the department for negligence, arguing that given the nature of the investigation involving immigration controls, travel would have been restricted, especially to Nigeria.
“It is therefore alarming that the main subject of this ongoing investigation was seen in Nigeria this past weekend during a televised broadcast of Miss Universe Nigeria.”
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber’s spokesperson, Duwayne Esau, has confirmed to IOL News, that they have received the letter from ActionSA.
Esau adds that the Hawks have taken over the investigation, while Home Affairs has issued Promotion of Administrative Justice Act letters to both Adetshina and her mother.
“This step is a step before the IDs and passports can be retrieved. The owners of these documents can use them until they have been withdrawn by the department,” he said.
Adetshina’s journey into the beauty pageant was marred by criticism and controversy as netizens questioned her citizenship.
It was later revealed that her father is Nigerian, while she has the Mozambican roots of her mother.
The 23-year-old Soweto-born Adetshina was compelled to withdraw from the Miss SA pageant after the probe of Home Affairs into the verification of her citizenship, following a request from pageant organisers.
The Department of Home Affairs revealed that her mother allegedly committed fraud.
In a statement, Schreiber said an innocent South African mother had her identity stolen as part of the fraud allegedly committed by Adetshina’s mother.
"Adetshina could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her mother, as she was an infant at the time when the activities took place in 2001," the minister added.
In addition, Ngobeni said the June 2022 report by the Ministerial Committee on the Issuance of Permits and Visas, cited 36,647 fraudulent applications detected, of which 12,177 originated from Nigerians, underscoring the scale of the problem.
She said these alarming figures highlight widespread efforts to undermine South Africa’s immigration system.
“ActionSA demands that the government not take a lax approach to enforcing our laws, especially when fraud is uncovered, as in the case of Chidimma Adetshina’s mother,” Ngobeni said.
Following her withdrawal from the Miss SA competition, Adetshina accepted an invitation to participate in Miss Universe Nigeria.
Amid the ongoing controversy over her citizenship, she was crowned the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 on Saturday night, representing the Taraba state.
Adetshina showed other contestants flames for winning the competition, with South Africans rallying behind her.
The event took place at the Eko Hotel Convention Centre in Victoria Island.
She said her advocacy would be inclusion, unity and acceptance, undoubtedly referring to her Miss SA experience.
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