Beauty queen, Chidimma Adetshina, who made headlines for her nationality controversy, has been accused of identity theft by South Africa Department of Home Affairs with the threat to strip her of South African identity and travel documents.
This decision comes after an investigation by Home Affairs, which questioned her eligibility to compete in the Miss South Africa pageant due to her mother’s Mozambican roots and Nigerian father.
Adetshina, a law student born in Soweto, South Africa, withdrew from the competition in August amid allegations that her mother may have committed “identity theft” to obtain South African nationality.
Following her exit, the law student accepted an invitation to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria, and won the title. She is in Mexico to represent the country at the Miss Universe competition.
The controversy surrounding Adetshina’s nationality sparked a wave of xenophobic vitriol in South Africa, leaving her traumatised and in need of therapy.
In an interview with the BBC, she expressed emotional distress and revealed plans to seek professional help, maintaining her pride in her South African and Nigerian heritage.
In a recent announcement to a parliamentary committee, Tommy Makhode, the top civil servant at the Department of Home Affairs, confirmed that Adetshina’s documents would be revoked due to her and her mother’s failure to provide reasons for eligibility by the deadline.
The case has been referred to the Hawks, a special police unit investigating serious crimes, which has concluded that it was a “case of fraud.”
Makhode noted that prosecutors are reviewing the matter and further decisions will be made from them.
