South Africa has decided to revoke the identification documents of beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina and her mother after they failed to meet a deadline to provide justifications for retaining their IDs.
The 23-year-old gained attention during the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant, during which she faced a xenophobic backlash due to her dual identity as both a South African and Nigerian. Critics – including lawmakers – questioned her eligibility to compete, citing her mother’s Mozambican roots and her Nigerian father. During the controversy, allegations emerged that Adetshina’s mother had committed identity fraud in order to obtain South African nationality for herself and her daughter (while the latter was still an infant). After withdrawing from Miss South Africa, Adetshina was invited to take part in Nigeria’s Miss Universe pageant. She won that and will now compete in the final in Mexico on 16 November.
Sources:
https://www.dw.com/en/south-africa-to-revoke-beauty-queens-id-documents/a-70645405