Petition Pushes Government to Clarify Citizenship Status of High-Profile Nigerians in South Africa

• A civil society group has launched a petition urging the South African government to clarify the citizenship status of Nigerian nationals
• The group is pressuring the government to answer on the status of the Igbo King, Solomon Ogbonna Eziko, and former Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina
• The move follows the controversial coronation of Eziko as Igbo King in KuGompo City and recent anti-illegal immigration protests

SOUTH AFRICA — The fallout from the KuGompo City controversy continues as a civil society group launches a petition urging the South African government to clarify the citizenship status of Nigerian nationals in the public sphere.

This comes in the wake of the contentious coronation of the Igbo King in KuGompo City and last week’s related anti-illegal immigration unrest.

What does this petition say?

According to IOL, The Progressive Forces of South Africa has launched a Change.org petition urging the government to investigate the immigration status of Solomon Ogbonna Eziko, who was recently crowned as a traditional leader of the Igbo community in KuGompo City, Eastern Cape.

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Framing its intervention as a push for due process rather than public outrage, the organisation says the matter should be handled through proper legal channels, focusing on immigration compliance, governance, and public accountability.

According to the movement, Eziko’s coronation raises serious legal questions, particularly around compliance with the Immigration Act, which governs the entry and residence of foreign nationals, as well as the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act, which regulates the recognition of traditional leaders in South Africa.

See post here:

Group calls for an update on Chidimma Adetshina's status

The group is also seeking clarity on the citizenship of former Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina and her mother, Anabela Rungo. The petition urges the Department of Home Affairs to disclose Adetshina’s current citizenship status and whereabouts, and to provide updates on any legal proceedings involving her mother.

The Progressive Forces of South Africa argue that, amid emotionally charged protests and growing tensions around immigration, it is essential for authorities to establish the facts and apply the law consistently. They emphasise that these matters should not be decided in the court of public opinion but through transparent legal processes that separate fact from speculation.

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Eziko’s alleged coronation and Adetshina’s citizenship status have emerged as two of the most politically charged and widely debated issues in South Africa’s national discourse.

Social media weighs in

@NNomvo said:

"This government is very economical with the truth on serious issues."

@RTmmane said:

"Chidimma is in Cape Town, enjoying the lawless country."

@ZolaAmanda said:

"The country has been waiting specifically for Home Affairs and Leon Schreib to respond on this matter as well as on the matter of that Nigerian family deported from Ireland."

@MiMiIsKing said:

"How can one want to be Miss SA with fraudulent papers?"

@SamKevin29715 said:

"Lol, the reason the Chidima case hasn't been concluded is that there's no case."

Malema supports Chiddima Adetshina

In related news, the Economic Freedom Fighters president, Julius Malema slammed EFF supporters and South Africans who opposed Chidimma Adetshina. This was after she stepped down from the Miss SA competition after her mother was implicated in identity fraud. Malema's words angered South Africans, who called him out, pointing to the possible criminal element of the story and not Adetshina's ethnic background.

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Previously, Briefly News also reported that DJ Sbu apologised for his views and stance on former Miss SA finalist Chidimma Adwetshina. Sbu had previously supported her and drew the criticism of the majority of South Africans on social media. However, when news of her mother's involvement in identity theft and fraud broke, Sbu offered a heartfelt apology.

Source: Briefly News