A Miss South Africa finalist has announced she’s withdrawing from the contest after facing a xenophobia row over her heritage.
Chidimma Adetshina, 23, was one of 10 finalists in the competition but says she’s taken the ‘difficult decision’ to leave the contest ahead of tomorrow’s final.
The stunning model was born in South Africa but has mixed parentage through her Nigerian father, while her mother has Mozambican descent.
Vicious rumours accused Adetshina of not being eligible to take part in the competition, claiming she’s Nigerian and not actually South African.
The law student had received a torrent of vile abuse on social media, while Miss South Africa and the government were urged to ban her from competing.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Thursday, Adetshina broke her silence on the issue to reveal she’s been forced to withdraw from the competition over fears for her own safety and that of her family.
Chidimma Adetshina, 23, has been forced to withdraw from Miss South Africa following a row over her heritage
She said: ‘I would like to start off by thanking everyone who has stood beside me right from the start of my Miss South Africa journey. I’m really grateful for all the love and support I have been shown.
‘Being part of the Miss South Africa 2024 competition has been an amazing journey, however, after much consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw myself from the competition for the safety of my family and I.
‘With the support of the Miss South Africa Organisation, I leave with a heart full of gratitude for this amazing experience.
‘I would like to take this opportunity to wish my fellow finalists all the best for the remainder of the competition. Whoever wears the crown represents us all.’
Adetshina, who had said previously she was ‘super excited’ for the final, thanked her fans for the ‘love and support’ she’s received.
She is still featured as the first contestant on the Miss South Africa website despite withdrawing from the contest.
In a statement, the organisers of Miss South Africa said: ‘In light of recent events, 2024 Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Miss South Africa competition.
‘We wish Chidimma all of the very best and success in all her endeavours.
The law student had previously revealed how ‘excited’ she was to be one of the 10 finalists
She thanked her fans for their ‘love and support’ after revealing she’s withdrawn from the contest
‘Miss South Africa celebrates South Africa’s rich and inclusive culture and diversity. We uphold the spirit of Ubuntu-Botho and are committed to contributing to the self-belief, self-confidence, and fulfilment of the aspirations of all girls and women in Africa and worldwide.
‘The Miss South Africa Organisation would like to thank our sponsors, partners, fans and all stakeholders for their continued support and wish the 2024 Miss South Africa finalists, all of the best.’
Miss South Africa said previously that she is eligible to compete as she holds a valid ID and passport, while the nation grants citizenship by birth to anyone born in the country after 1995.
Adetshina said it was disappointing to see so much ‘black-on-black hate’ in the response to her achievements in the contest, and told local media: ‘You try so hard to represent your country and wear it with so much pride but all these people are not in support of you.’
Images circulating on social media of her alongside others dressed in traditional Nigerian attire only worsened the abuse.
Fuel was added to the fire after an investigation by the Home Affairs ministry uncovered ‘prima facie indications’ that Adetshina’s mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman after she was born.
Home Affairs minister Leon Schreiber said: ‘Reasons exist to believe that fraud and identity theft may have been committed by the person recorded in home affairs records as Chidimma Adetshina’s mother.
‘An innocent South African mother, whose identity may have been stolen as part of the alleged fraud committed by Adetshina’s mother, suffered as a result because she could not register her child.’
The model posted a statement to her Instagram page revealing concerns over her safety and that of her family had led to the decision ahead of Saturday’s final
The law student had received a torrent of vile abuse on social media, while Miss South Africa and the government were urged to ban her from competing
South Africa today is known as the ‘Rainbow Nation’ but xenophobia still remains post-apartheid.
The abuse commonly targets those from Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Somalia, who are used as scapegoats for ‘taking jobs away’ and causing high levels of drugs and crime.
It has led to the rise of xenophobic movements and political parties, including the far-right Patriotic Alliance led by Gayton McKenzie, which won two per cent of the vote in May’s elections.
McKenzie, who is also Minister of Culture, wrote last week on Twitter: ‘We truly cannot have Nigerians competing in our Miss SA competition. I want to get all the facts before I comment, but it gives funny vibes already.
‘Whenever you present yourself to represent South Africans, you are willingly opening yourself up to scrutiny.
‘South Africans shouldn’t be ashamed and accused simply because they are asking needed questions of the lady who wants to represent them as Miss South Africa.’
But Julius Malema, leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, came to her defence during a podcast interview.
He said: ‘We cannot punish people based on where their parents come from… Your citizenship is determined by where you were born, so if she was born here, she’s South African.
The stunning model was born and raised in South Africa. Her father is Nigerian while her mother has Mozambican descent
‘It doesn’t matter. She’s not her parents, she’s herself. So why say she’s from Nigeria or Mozambique? She was born here.’
Adetshina revealed in her entry video that her parents are not from South Africa, which initiated the debate of her eligibility to compete.
She was born and raised in Johannesburg and is now a law student at Varsity College, model and netball player.
According to her bio for Miss South Africa, she is passionate about advocating for change on violence against women and children.
The winner of Miss South Africa will be announced at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria on August 10.
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