Beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina is set to be stripped of her South African identity documents following a protracted controversy surrounding her nationality. The Department of Home Affairs disclosed plans to revoke her South African identification and travel papers, with an official announcement made during a parliamentary committee session on Tuesday.
The department cited concerns over alleged identity fraud involving both Ms. Adetshina and her mother, who is also facing the cancellation of her South African documents.
Tommy Makhode, Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs, stated that Ms. Adetshina and her mother had missed the deadline to substantiate their claim to South African citizenship. According to Makhode, the case has now been referred to the Hawks, a specialized unit of the police focused on serious crimes.
The Hawks’ investigation concluded that this is a likely case of fraud. Officials are currently awaiting guidance from prosecutors on how to move forward with the case. Neither Ms. Adetshina nor her mother has issued a public response to these developments.
The nationality debate began after Ms. Adetshina emerged as a finalist in the Miss South Africa competition. Her eligibility was questioned by critics, who pointed out her Mozambican maternal heritage and Nigerian paternal roots.
Ms. Adetshina, who claims she was born in Soweto, has previously expressed pride in both her South African and Nigerian identities. Despite the controversy, she is currently in Mexico preparing to represent Nigeria at the upcoming Miss Universe competition on November 16, where she will compete against contestants from around the world, including Mia le Roux, the current Miss South Africa titleholder.
Adetshina withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant in August amid rising scrutiny after the Department of Home Affairs revealed potential identity theft involving her mother.