Chidimma Adetshina, a 23-year-old model with Nigerian roots, has made the difficult decision to withdraw from the Miss South Africa 2024 competition. The decision comes after weeks of xenophobic backlash and controversy surrounding her eligibility due to her Nigerian father and Mozambican mother. The situation escalated when South Africa’s Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber, accused Adetshina’s mother of identity theft following an investigation requested by the pageant’s organizers. However, Chidinma made it to the top 16 of the competition before withdrawing.

Minister Schreiber stated that there was reason to believe fraud and identity theft may have been committed by the person listed as Adetshina’s mother in official records. This led to further scrutiny of Adetshina’s nationality and her participation in the competition, despite the fact that she was born in South Africa in 2001, which should have automatically granted her citizenship under the laws in place after 1995.

In an Instagram post, Adetshina expressed her decision to withdraw for the safety and wellbeing of herself and her family, describing her participation in the Miss South Africa 2024 competition as an amazing journey. However, the pressure from public and governmental scrutiny ultimately made it untenable for her to continue.

This development highlights the complex issues of identity, nationality, and xenophobia in South Africa, especially in the context of high-profile public events such as beauty pageants.