Rabbie Serumula, author, award-winning poet and journalist. Picture: Nokuthula Mbatha
She is a Black girl born and raised in Soweto to a South African mother. This country knows her by blood. Legally, she is South African—let's get that out of the way.
Chastised for her Nigerian roots, the backlash against Chidimma Adetshina as a finalist in the Miss South Africa 2024 pageant serves as a recurring lesson on heritage, self-love, and prejudice. Decolonising our minds generates significant tension, frustration, and debate.
Chidimma's experience is not unique. The concepts of identity and belonging are complex, particularly in societies grappling with colonial legacies. Take, for instance, the French national football team that won the 2018 World Cup. A closer look at the players donning the French kits reveals a diverse African heritage. In essence, France was the last African team standing in that tournament. Among the 23 players representing France, 12 had African ancestry spanning nine nations across the continent. This diverse heritage became a source of national pride when the team was winning but led to racial tension when things didn’t go as planned. Karim Benzema, of Algerian descent, famously highlighted these tensions when he remarked that he was considered French only when he scored and Arab when he didn’t.
This complexity extends beyond football. In mixed martial arts, the clash between South Africa’s Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis and Nigerian-born Israel “The Last Stylebender” Adesanya underscores similar tensions. Du Plessis provoked Adesanya by claiming he aspired to be the first genuine African champion—one who lives, trains, and fights in Africa. Adesanya, who moved to New Zealand from Nigeria, took offence and vowed to defeat Du Plessis, reflecting a deeper struggle over defining African identity.
Chidimma Adetshina’s journey in the Miss South Africa pageant echoes these narratives. Her Nigerian heritage should not be weaponised for exclusion. The backlash she endures mirrors the broader challenge of decolonising minds—a journey fraught with tension, frustration, and passionate debate. Decolonising involves embracing the multifaceted nature of identity rather than confining it to narrow, exclusionary definitions.
Heritage and self-love are intrinsic to this narrative. Embracing her roots, as Chidimma does, is a defiant act against historical forces that seek to marginalise and erase. Identity is not monolithic, and true self-love involves honouring all parts of oneself.
Chidimma's experience highlights the ongoing struggle many face in reconciling their identities within a post-colonial context. The backlash she faces for her Nigerian heritage in South Africa reflects a broader societal reluctance to embrace a decolonised mindset fully. This reluctance creates an environment where heritage becomes a battleground for acceptance and recognition.
Chidimma’s experience, along with the stories of the French football team and the du Plessis-Adesanya rivalry, underscores the importance of decolonising our minds. This process, while challenging, is essential for fostering a more inclusive and understanding society. It demands that we confront our prejudices, celebrate our diverse heritages, and engage in the ongoing work of redefining what it means to be African in today’s world.
Saturday Star
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