Cape Town – International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has said the citizenship issue involving Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina has no impact on South Africa’s diplomatic relations with Nigeria.
Adetshina, who was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father, withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant last week after an investigation revealed potential fraudulent residency status of her Mozambican mother.
Home Affairs Minister Leone Schreiber said in a statement that Adetshina’s mother allegedly stole the identity of an innocent South African.
He said that the Home Affairs Department was expanding its investigation to include any officials implicated in this fraud.
“The department is obtaining legal advice on the implications of the alleged fraudulent activity on Adetshina’s citizenship status. Upon the completion of the investigation, Home Affairs intends to press criminal charges,” he said.
[MEDIA STATEMENT] Ongoing Home Affairs investigation finds Prima Facie indications of fraud committed by Chidimma Adetshina’s mother. #TeamHomeAffairs #DHAServiceDelivery @GCISMedia pic.twitter.com/X5Dy2fWjNW
— HomeAffairsSA 🇿🇦 (@HomeAffairsSA) August 7, 2024
Schreiber said that the investigation’s ongoing nature was due to its expanded scope after initial information from Miss SA organisers prompted further scrutiny.
Following the revelations, Lamola said that the controversy pertained only to pageant rules and eligibility, not to the broader diplomatic relationship between South Africa and Nigeria, EWN reported.
The minister said that South Africa’s ties with Nigeria remained strong, with recent agreements in sport, arts, and culture.
“Those are things related to that process and should not be interpreted to mean that it’s outside or it’s a reflection on South Africa’s foreign diplomatic relations with Nigeria,” the report quoted the minister as saying.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
