WITH only a week before the crowning of Miss SA 2024, one would have expected the organisers of the beauty pageant to issue a statement on the burning matter of Chidima Vanessa Adetshina.
The gorgeous Adetshina has been confirmed as non- South African, yet she made it to the top 11 in the beauty pageant to be held 10 August.
And political parties and fellow South Africans have had a full day on this matter.
Its been confirmed she is a South African, born at Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital to a Nigerian father and SA mother, of Mozambican descent.
What also fuelled the speculations this week is a video of Adetshina with Nigerian people, dressed in Nigerian clothing and celebrating her success in the competition, made it to social media, thus confirming she was not a South African.
It has also been confirmed she deleted tweets with her Nigerian flag.
Enter the minister of sport, arts and culture- Gayton McKenzie, who upon arrival from his trip at the 2024 Olympics, promised to look into this matter.
“I just returned from Paris and will definitely get more information. We truly cannot have Nigerians competing in our Miss SA competition. I want to get all the facts before I comment, but it gives funny vibes already,” McKenzie tweeted.
Herman Mashaba- ActionSA leader, also said “This young woman is compromising herself by identifying with characters who are likely in South Africa illegally. Bad idea,” Mashaba said on X.
Julius Malema, EFF leader was quoted:” Your citizenship is determined by where you were born, so if she was born here, she’s South African. It doesn’t matter. She’s not her parents, she’s herself. So why say she’s from Nigeria or Mozambique? She was born here,” he said.
“We cannot punish people based on where their parents come from. I’ve not followed the debate closely, but I would assume Miss SA has done the necessary due diligence and determined she is a suitable candidate.
“These are issues stirred up by those who spread hate among Africans. Such people should not be supported.”
A petition has been launched by some South Africans to remove Adetshina from the pageant.
A response would at least help from the organisers.
The Miss SA 2024 will be crowned on August 10 at the SunBet Arena, Pretoria.
Image (The stunning Chidimna Vanessa Adetshina’s eligibility to enter Miss SA 2024 has divided the country).
