By Ollus Ndomu
Chidimma Adetshina, the Miss South Africa finalist who has been at the center of a citizenship controversy, has withdrawn from the competition, sources confirmed late Wednesday.
Adetshina’s withdrawal comes after the South African government accused her mother of fraud and identity theft, alleging that she stole the identity of a South African woman shortly after Adetshina was born. The accusations emerged following a Ministry of Home Affairs investigation into Adetshina’s citizenship, sparked by a wave of xenophobic abuse on social media due to her Nigerian heritage.
The Ministry revealed that it was seeking legal advice on the implications for Adetshina’s citizenship, though it noted that she had not been involved in any of the alleged unlawful activities as she was an infant at the time.
Adetshina’s decision to step down from the pageant adds a new layer of complexity to the ongoing debate surrounding xenophobia and identity in South Africa. Her withdrawal is likely to raise further questions about the handling of her case and the impact of public pressure on the competition.
More details on this developing story will follow as they become available.
