The Miss South Africa beauty pageant has been embroiled in a xenophobic controversy after a fierce campaign demanded that a finalist be eliminated due to her mixed ancestry.
Chidimma Adetshina, a 23-year-old law student and model, is one of the ten finalists in the contest, with the winner to be announced on Saturday.
But since Adetshina was revealed as a finalist in July, she has been met with vile abuse on social media and Miss South Africa and the government have been urged to ban her from competing.
The stunning model was born in South Africa, but is of mixed ancestry on her Nigerian father’s side, while her mother is of Mozambican descent.
Miss South Africa previously said she is eligible to compete as she possesses a valid ID and passport, while the nation grants birthright citizenship to anyone born in the country after 1995.
Chidimma Adetshina, 23, has faced calls to be removed from the Miss South Africa pageant because of her mixed heritage.
Adetshina said it was disappointing to see so much “black hate” in the response to her achievements at the pageant, telling local media: “You try so hard to represent your country and show it off so proudly, but all these people don’t support you.”
Malicious rumours accused Adetshina of being ineligible to participate in the competition, claiming that she is Nigerian and not South African.
Images circulating on social media of her alongside others dressed in traditional Nigerian attire only worsened the abuse.
Further fuel was added to the fire after a Home Office investigation found “prima facie evidence” that Adetshina’s mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman after her birth.
Interior Minister Leon Schreiber said: ‘There is reason to believe that the person registered in the Interior Ministry’s records as Chidimma Adetshina’s mother may have committed fraud and identity theft.
‘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 was unable to register her son.’
Today South Africa is known as the “Rainbow Nation,” but xenophobia still persists after apartheid.
Abuses often target people from Zimbabwe, Nigeria and Somalia, who are used as scapegoats for “taking away jobs” and causing high levels of drug and crime.
The stunning model was born and raised in South Africa. Her father is Nigerian and her mother is of Mozambican descent.
Adetshina is one of ten finalists and the winner of the contest will be announced on Saturday.
It has led to the rise of xenophobic political parties and movements, including the far-right Patriotic Alliance led by Gayton McKenzie, which won two percent of the vote in May’s election.
McKenzie, who is also the Culture Minister, wrote on Twitter last week: “We really can’t allow Nigerians to compete in our Miss South Africa pageant. I want to get all the facts before commenting but it’s already giving off weird vibes.
‘Every time you stand to represent South Africans, you are willingly exposing yourself to scrutiny.
‘South Africans should not feel ashamed or accused simply because they ask necessary questions to 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 are from… Your citizenship is determined by where you were born, so if she was born here, she is South African.
“It doesn’t matter. She is not her parents, she is herself. So why say she is from Nigeria or Mozambique? She was born here.”
Adetshina, who is also a netball player and law student, has been targeted with abuse on social media.
Adetshina revealed in her entrance video that her parents are not from South Africa, sparking debate over her eligibility to compete.
Born and raised in Johannesburg, she is now a law student at Varsity College, a model and a netball player.
According to her bio for Miss South Africa, she is passionate about advocating for change in violence against women and children.
The winner of Miss South Africa will be announced at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria on August 10.
FEMAIL has contacted the organisers of Miss South Africa for comment.
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