In brief
Chidimma Adetshina, 25, has publicly declared that she was born in South Africa but her citizenship has been challenged after she was stripped of her identity documents in 2024. She alleges her home affairs case to detain her and deport her was unfairly targeted. Adetshina was arrested for re‑entering the country unlawfully and released on a warning. The Court postponed her detention until next year, while protests by the anti‑migrant group March and March surrounded the courthouse. The case highlights ongoing debates over migration and citizenship in South Africa.
Beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina says she was born in South Africa, but officials have slapped her with a deportation order.
The 25‑year‑old, who recently won Miss Universe Nigeria, was declared a prohibited person in 2024 after South African authorities stripped her identity documents. She claims she was born in Soweto and grew up in Cape Town, yet her mother’s Mozambican background and her Nigerian father have led officials to question her citizenship.
Officials allege that Adetshina applied for a South African visa while in Nigeria and returned via a Mozambican border post, implying she was not a citizen. She was arrested in June for reportedly re‑entering the country unlawfully, but was released on a warning.
The Home Affairs Department’s legal case to detain her was postponed to February 2027, giving her time to challenge the deportation decision. Adetshina said in a Cape Town court that “I remind everyone that I was born in South Africa and have applied through the proper legal channels to have my status determined.”
Outside the court, the anti‑migrant group March and March gathered and chased after Adetshina’s car as she fled, underscoring the heightened tensions over migration politics in South Africa.
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