South Africans launch petition against Miss SA finalist, Chidimma Adetshina

A petition has been initiated by South Africans aiming to disqualify Chidimma Adetshina from the Miss South Africa pageant.

Adetshina, a 23-year-old contestant, was born at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital to a Nigerian father and a South African mother of Mozambican descent.

The controversy erupted when Adetshina recently removed the Nigerian and Mozambican flags from her TikTok profile, triggering backlash on social media.

There are also concerns from some South Africans about her eligibility due to her status as a divorcee and mother. Despite this, the Miss South Africa rules, updated in 2022, now allow divorced and married women to compete.

In an interview, Chidimma affirmed her eligibility, emphasizing her South African citizenship. “I am a South African citizen, and I have met all the requirements to be a part of the Miss SA competition. The fact that my father is Nigerian does not take away from the fact that I am South African. My mother is South African, and I was born and raised in this country,” she told TRUELOVE magazine.

Despite the controversy, the Miss South Africa organisation confirmed that Adetshina fulfills all necessary criteria, highlighting that she possesses a valid South African ID. “All documentation provided by the entrants is screened and vetted,” they stated.