Chidimma Adetshina citizenship probe: Home Affairs finds prima facie evidence of fraud
Home Affairs officials believe the Miss SA contestant's mother may have stolen another South African woman's identity...
The controversy surrounding Miss South Africa 2024 contestant Chidimma Adetshina has taken a shocking turn.
An investigation by the Department of Home Affairs has revealed that the 23-year-old's mother may have committed identity theft.
"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," the department said.
The probe was conducted after Miss SA officials - with Chidimma's consent - asked the department to verify her citizenship.
Her nationality came under scrutiny shortly after she was announced as a Top 16 contestant.
Some social media users questioned if Chidimma, who reportedly has a Nigerian father and a South African mother with Mozambican roots, should be a finalist.
Miss SA indicated that Chidimma, who was born in Johannesburg, holds South African citizenship and therefore qualifies for the pageant.
Home Affairs says the identity theft allegedly committed by Chidimma's mother may have affected a local woman.
"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."
Chidimma would have been a baby when the fraud occurred.
"Adetshina 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," the statement read.
MORE FROM EAST COAST RADIO:
'Chidimma', 'Home Affairs', 'Miss SA', 'Nigerian', "South Africans', and 'Xenophobic' were trending in the top 10 on X (Twitter) shortly after the news broke.
Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture Gayton McKenzie was also on the trends list. The minister made headlines in July after he shared his views on the drama surrounding Chidimma.
"I just returned from Paris and will definitely get more information tomorrow, we truly cannot have Nigerians compete in our Miss SA competition. I wanna get all facts before I comment but it gives funny vibes already," he wrote in a tweet.
READ MORE HERE: Gayton McKenzie weighs in on Miss SA drama
South African actress Pearl Thusi was also trending on X. She received hate for defending Chidimma earlier this month.
"She was born and raised in South Africa, therefore she is a South African. She can't call Nigeria home, even though her parents may be Nigerian or wherever they may be from. That is beside the point. If she was a white girl and she was half French, half something else, you guys might have never even noticed, but because her name is what it is now it's a big deal," Pearl said in a video shared on social media.
Miss SA will crown a new beauty queen at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria this weekend. Officials are yet to comment on how the latest development will affect Chidimma.
"This case, which stems from alleged fraudulent activities committed 23 years ago, highlights the urgent need for the digital modernisation of Home Affairs applications, adjudication and verification processes, to insulate the Department against fraudulent interference, similar to the reforms undertaken at the South African Revenue Service in the late 2000s," Home Affairs said.
The department says it will press criminal charges against all implicated parties when its investigation is completed.
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
- Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
- Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet, channel 836.
- Switch to the audio bouquet on your Openview decoder and browse to channel 606
- Listen to us on Amazon Alexa.
Follow us on social media:
Main image credit: Instagram/@fficial_misssa (Garreth Barclay for Miss South Africa)