The Department of Home Affairs has released a bombshell statement alleging that pageant contestant Chidimma Adetshina’s mother may have committed fraud and identity theft when registering her birth. The question now remains – will she be disqualified from the Miss SA pageant?
And could her South African citizenship be revoked?
The Miss SA finale takes place on Saturday, 10 August, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria.
HOME AFFAIRS RELEASES BOMBSHELL STATEMENT – WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber revealed the findings of a preliminary investigation in a bombshell statement on Wednesday evening.
This followed a request from the Miss SA organisation – with the consent of Chidimma Adetshina and her mother – to verify her identity documents amid public scrutiny of her nationality. According to the 23 year-old, her father is Nigerian, and her mother is South African with Mozambican roots.
Home Affairs claimed that they had conducted the investigation using archival research, hospital visits, and site visits to verify information.
Their findings yielded the following results:
Prima facie 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.
Chidimma herself could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her mother, as she was an infant at the time when the activities took place in 2001.
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.
Schreiber added that the Department of Home Affairs had “broadened its investigation to identify and pursue any officials involved in the alleged fraudulent scheme and is obtaining legal advice on the implications of the alleged fraudulent activity on Adetshina’s citizenship status.”
Schreiber added that upon the completion of the investigation, Home Affairs intends to press criminal charges against all implicated parties.
Their investigation continues, and an update will be provided soon.
CHIDIMMA CONTROVERSY: UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
In light of Home Affairs revelations, many South Africans want to know if Chidimma Adetshina will be disqualified from the pageant based on the questions and concerns around her nationality.
With the finale just days away, Miss SA has yet to release a statement on the way forward.
stephanie weil, miss sa, chidimma adetshina
Miss SA CEO Stephanie Weil has responded to criticism about finalist Chidimma Adetshina. Images via Instagram: @official_misssa
Other unanswered questions by the public include:
What is Chidimma Adetshina’s mother’s nationality? Did her parents have permanent residency in South Africa when she was born?
Is Chidimma a South African citizen or not? How does this affect her identity and records?
Could her citizenship be revoked?
Can Chidimma be held accountable for her mother’s actions?
The South African has reached out to the Miss SA organisers for comment. None was received at the time of publishing.
STEPHANIE WEIL: ‘CONTESTANTS NEED TO BE SOUTH AFRICAN’
In an interview with 702 on Wednesday, 6 August, Miss SA CEO Stephanie Weil unpacked the eligibility process for candidates.
Apart from the new inclusivity rules, which permit married and divorced women as well as mothers, Weil added that the contestant’s main motivation should be that “You are a South African, and you are representative of what our values are of the organisation.”
Vaguely referring to questions over Chidimma’s nationality, Weil claimed that all contestants were thoroughly vetted and documentation was authenticated by professionals.
She said: “We work with different companies to ensure it is all correct. Everything is done by the book, and everything is done thoroughly”.