Home Affairs Confirms Launching Probe Into Chidimma Adetshina’s Citizenship Status, Locals Skeptical

Home Affairs Confirms Launching Probe Into Chidimma Adetshina’s Citizenship Status, Locals Skeptical

  • The Home Affairs Department has confirmed investigating Miss South Africa (SA) finalist Chidimma Onwe Adetshina's citizenship
  • The decision follows much speculation about the Miss SA 2024 finalist's nationality, leading to questions about her eligibility
  • South Africans had a loud reaction to the development, with plenty of mixed reactions to the latest in the beauty pageant saga
Home Affairs to prone Chidimma Adetshina citizenship
Home Affairs confirms investigation into Miss SA finalist Chidimma Onwe Adetshina's citizenship status. Images: @chichi_vanessa
Source: Getty Images

JOHANNESBURG — The Home Affairs Department confirmed that it is investigating the citizenship status of Miss South Africa (SA) finalist Chidimma Onwe Adetshina.

The Miss SA Organisation requested Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber to undertake the probe.

Home Affairs confirms Chidimma Adetshina probe

It comes after much speculation and clamour over one or both of Adetshina's parents being foreign nationals.

The furore sparked a heated debate over the past few weeks about her eligibility to compete in the national beauty competition.

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Meanwhile, various parts of the 23-year-old model and netball player's life have continued to be the subject of public scrutiny.

Among the latest details to emerge was her traditional Nigerian wedding.

However, the Miss SA Organisation revealed that Adetshina had confirmed her divorce from her Igbo husband, with whom she shares a one-year-old child.

The @MDNnewss X page posted further details about the request to investigate the contestant's citizenship status.

The post read:

"In response to the issue regarding Chidimma Adetshina's citizenship status, Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber stated that the department received an official request from the [pageant] organisers to investigate her citizenship.
"The request included consent from the individuals involved, and the department is working to verify and compile the necessary information. Schreiber also mentioned that the department had not received any complaints about the matter before this request."

Like the entire saga, the post sparked a social media frenzy, with some locals expressing scepticism about the decision to probe Adetshina.

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Netizens express loud reactions

However, plenty of others welcomed the about-turn, believing it would finally put paid to the drama.

@TakaTina1 wrote:

"I sense the chef has now finished cooking the papers needed."

@M_o_n_d_z wrote:

"By the time Miss SA is over, he will still be investigating."

@BBK29_ added:

"A minister who himself ain't South African will be verifying if another person is a South African and not themselves first."

Tsonga pageant hopeful opts against entering Miss SA

In related news, Briefly News reported that an X user, @TsongaBratzdoll, opened a can of worms when she took to the platform to express a strong opinion about being averse to entering Miss SA.

It sparked a frenzied response from highly charged netizens engrossed with the drama surrounding Chidimma Onwe Adetshina.

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Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tshepiso Mametela avatar

Tshepiso Mametela (Head of Current Affairs Desk) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is the current affairs Head of Desk at Briefly News. He was a news reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops, including the crime and court reporting one by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism in 2024. Email: tshepiso.mametela@briefly.co.za