Chidimma Adetshina, was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother and she drew major attention in 2024 when she entered the Miss South Africa pageant. Questions about her family’s citizenship led her to pull out of the competition and She later competed for Nigeria, won the Miss Universe Nigeria title, and placed as first runner-up at the international Miss Universe contest.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs later cancelled her identity documents and declared her a prohibited person in late 2024. Officials said her mother had used fraudulent papers to register her birth.
In June 2026, she was arrested in Cape Town. Authorities claimed she had entered the country unlawfully through a border post from Mozambique and was living there without legal status. She was released on a warning and ordered to stay at a fixed address while reporting to immigration officials.
On 19 August 2026, the Cape Town Regional Court heard arguments about whether she should be detained while deportation proceedings continue. Magistrate Reema Khorana ruled that the court could not decide the detention request yet.
A related review application is still before the Western Cape High Court, where Adetshina is challenging the Home Affairs decision on her status. The regional court therefore adjourned the matter until February 2027.
Outside the court, members of groups including Operation Dudula and March and March protested. They chanted “Chidimma go home” and called for her to leave the country. When Adetshina left the building later, the situation grew tense. Family members surrounded and protected her as protesters shouted. Some videos showed people confronting the vehicle she was in.
Speaking after the hearing, Chidimma Adetshina said she was born in South Africa and had followed the proper legal steps to resolve her status and citizenship. She told reporters she felt she had been treated unfairly and targeted, with an attempt made to make an example of her. She urged people not to let xenophobia or misinformation decide how others are treated and called for the spirit of Ubuntu to guide the country. She said she would continue to respect the legal process.
The Department of Home Affairs maintains she has no valid legal status in South Africa and wants her detained pending deportation. Her lawyers argue she has deep ties to the country, was born there, and should be allowed to regularise her position through the courts.
She must stay at her current address and keep reporting to immigration officers until the next court date.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs later cancelled her identity documents and declared her a prohibited person in late 2024. Officials said her mother had used fraudulent papers to register her birth.
In June 2026, she was arrested in Cape Town. Authorities claimed she had entered the country unlawfully through a border post from Mozambique and was living there without legal status. She was released on a warning and ordered to stay at a fixed address while reporting to immigration officials.
On 19 August 2026, the Cape Town Regional Court heard arguments about whether she should be detained while deportation proceedings continue. Magistrate Reema Khorana ruled that the court could not decide the detention request yet.
A related review application is still before the Western Cape High Court, where Adetshina is challenging the Home Affairs decision on her status. The regional court therefore adjourned the matter until February 2027.
Outside the court, members of groups including Operation Dudula and March and March protested. They chanted “Chidimma go home” and called for her to leave the country. When Adetshina left the building later, the situation grew tense. Family members surrounded and protected her as protesters shouted. Some videos showed people confronting the vehicle she was in.
Speaking after the hearing, Chidimma Adetshina said she was born in South Africa and had followed the proper legal steps to resolve her status and citizenship. She told reporters she felt she had been treated unfairly and targeted, with an attempt made to make an example of her. She urged people not to let xenophobia or misinformation decide how others are treated and called for the spirit of Ubuntu to guide the country. She said she would continue to respect the legal process.
The Department of Home Affairs maintains she has no valid legal status in South Africa and wants her detained pending deportation. Her lawyers argue she has deep ties to the country, was born there, and should be allowed to regularise her position through the courts.
She must stay at her current address and keep reporting to immigration officers until the next court date.
Na wa oh. She should just come back to Nigeria. Is this nation that bad?, I understand having been born and growing up there and maybe needing to make a point but she cannot benefit from an illegality. Is it that there is no home structure in Nigeria ( where is her father and Nigerian family or even her mother). She has options. Nigeria or Mozambique. She should pick one and go there. Can she even do anything whilst there e.g work and earn an income unless maybe she is doing virtual stuff. I hope she finds resolution to this.
ReplyDeleteImagine living where you are not love and surrounded by so much negativity? Mental health issues loading.
ReplyDeleteI wish her good luck
ReplyDeleteWhat is she still doing in this uceless country?
ReplyDeleteDOZZYBEST.
I am Curious though, is her surnname Yoruba? Because to my knowledge, it is different from the Yoruba spelling and pronunciation. As evident, her firstname is Igbo. Wondering, what part of Nigeria is she from ? Do Igbos bear her surname?
ReplyDeleteIf she wants to stay in a country that doesn't want her, people should let her be... Her actions make me wonder if she is actually Nigerian ? So after riding on the name Nigeria for beauty pageant, what did she contribute to Nigeria in return? I found it ridiculous that the other Nigerian ladies who invested their time into beauty pageant were side-lined to appease her with the title miss Nigeria.
The Observer
Some said probably itsekiri.
DeleteHmnn, Itsekiri surname with igbo first name? For one who is said to be "half" Nigerian ....
DeleteCould this be a case of Identity crisis via her mother?
The Observer
People are judging her for fighting this but I believe she’s just trying to ensure she clears her name before leaving. I’m not sure she’d want to remain there after all of this!
ReplyDeleteThis thing wey u type make sense?
DeleteCome home already Chi,leave them ugly hearted people and their land.
ReplyDeleteWhich home???
DeleteSomeone is fighting to stay in South Africa, you are saying come home
If she considers Nigeria home, wouldn't she have stayed after that modelling platform threw contestants under the bus and gave her free ticket to contest? You people should try and maintain small dignity na, as difficult as it is for you.
She can fight her battles herself.
She has NOT Nigerian.
Haaaa !sorry anony no beat me ooo .ChiChi stay oo ,don't come back πanony is vexing.
DeleteThe hate is intense because South Africans have deep resentment for Nigerians.
ReplyDeletePlease come back or relocate to another country that's better than SA
ReplyDeleteI’m even starting to hate her on their behalf bcos what is this annoying desperation to remain in SA?
ReplyDeleteShe was born and bred there,so why the word desperate?
DeleteChidinma has been in Nigeria, was issued Nigerian passport and has seen that, SA is better.
ReplyDeleteIn SA, free healthcare, free education, social safety net.
Nigeria has none of that, it was a no brainer. In Nigeria, if you are poor, you are 'dead' or struggling to survive
She fled back to SA.
Also, she could not keep enjoying the Miss Nigeria thing, that lifestyle is expensive.
Also, she is South African through and through, especially in mindset and behaviour so ..............
Anyway, I wish her the best.
Eka Joy, what name is she trying to clear? From the get go , her being in SA is the product of an illegality. Her parents did not have papers, so what is she trying to clear. Have you not seen other climes deporting people born in their countries from parents without papers. She may have been ignorant of the circumstances of her coming to be in SA but it does not change the fact that it is illegal. Her first mistake was bringing herself out to rep SA. She obviously has not been reading the room that is SA or she would have known that her presenting herself would have been unacceptable. She could have stayed quietly and jejely and maybe married a Southie and moved on with her life, now everything has scattered.
ReplyDeleteThat one doesn’t engage her brains before typing.
DeleteShe should just relocate to another country.
ReplyDeleteThis Is Tooo Much
ReplyDeleteWhy The Hate
Hello iya Boys
I pray they will not kpai her before she get sense, they hate her with everything in them, they even did a protest for her to leave, na she sabi.
ReplyDeleteMust she force them to accept her?of she wins in court,how safe is she in South Africa?,She better come back home for her own safety.
ReplyDeleteI felt for this girl when I saw protesters walking behind her chanting" Chidimma must go'.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to what was going through her mind then.
After the court battle she should flee for her safety.
Is this the same Chidinma that ki*led one married man TV host or something like that???
ReplyDeletelol nooo
DeleteLeave already ππΏππΏππΏ
ReplyDeleteThe babe should relocate to Canada or Us.
ReplyDeleteJust negodu South Africa pipul madnex