Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, who has been embroiled in a nationality controversy, is to be stripped of her South African identity and travel documents.
The Department of Home Affairs initiated an investigation into her case after she became a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant, facing scrutiny over her eligibility due to her mother’s Mozambican roots and her Nigerian father’s nationality.
In August, she withdrew from the competition after the department revealed that her mother might have committed “identity theft” to acquire South African citizenship.
Adetshina, a law student, later won the title of Miss Universe Nigeria after being invited to participate by the organisers.
The situation ignited a wave of xenophobic backlash in South Africa, prompting Adetshina to tell the BBC that she would need therapy to recover.
The Department of Home Affairs announced the withdrawal of her ID papers to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
Tommy Makhode, the department’s top civil servant, stated that Adetshina’s mother would also have her documents cancelled, as they both failed to meet the deadline to justify their eligibility.
Neither Adetshina nor her mother has commented on the decision to revoke their documents.
Makhode mentioned that the case has been referred to the Hawks, a special police unit that investigates serious crimes, which concluded that it was a “case of fraud.” Officials are now awaiting instructions from prosecutors on how to proceed.
Following the department’s revelations in August, it clarified that Adetshina “could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her mother as she was an infant at the time.”
Adetshina has stated she was born in Soweto, South Africa. After her victory in Nigeria, she affirmed to the BBC that she still identifies as “proudly South African” and “proudly Nigerian.”
She has just arrived in Mexico to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe competition on 16 November, where she will compete against contestants from around the globe, including Mia le Roux, this year’s Miss South Africa winner.