South African Authorities Investigate Mother Of Nigerian-born Miss SA Finalist Chidimma Adetshina’s Of Identity Theft, Threaten Legal Action

The South African government has stated that the mother of Chidimma Adetshina, a finalist in the 2024 Miss South Africa contest, may have been involved in identity theft.

Chidimma was born in Soweto, South Africa to a Nigerian father and a mother who is of Mozambican descent.

Social media attacks have targeted her Nigerian heritage despite her being born in South Africa and meeting all competition requirements.

However, the new development regarding her mother is contained in a circular issued by the country’s Department of Home Affairs dated August 7, 2024, in which it gave an update on the controversies surrounding Chidimma’s qualification for the upcoming Miss South Africa Event slated for Saturday. 

Ms Adetshina’s eligibility to compete in the beauty event has been seriously questioned by South Africans. 

She became a key figure in South Africa's xenophobia debate and national identity discussions after making it to the Top 30 and becoming a finalist in the Miss SA competition. 

However, criticism escalated on Monday when a video of her marriage surfaced, which many South Africans believed contravened the competition's rules.

New facts revealed by the SA Department of Home Affairs’ statement stated that considering the circumstances of her birth, Chidimma is not qualified to contest in Saturday’s event. 

The statement reads: “The Department of Home Affairs herewith provides an update on the ongoing investigation into the citizenship of Chidimma Adetshina, a contestant in the upcoming Miss SA event.

“The reason for the ongoing nature of the investigation is that its scope has broadened since the original request received from the organisers of Miss SA, based on the information uncovered by Home Affairs investigators thus far.

“The Department nonetheless provides this public update based on the official request received from Miss SA, as well as the consent provided by both the contestant and her mother. We will provide a final update once the investigation is concluded.

“On Monday, 05 August 2024, the organisers of the event sent the Department a request to verify the citizenship of a contestant, Chidimma Adetshina. This request was accompanied by written consent from both Adetshina and her mother.

“Upon receiving this request, the Department deployed every resource at its disposal to establish the truth. This has included archival research, visits to hospitals, and site visits to verify information.

“From the information we have uncovered thus far, the Department of Home Affairs can indicate that:

“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;

“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.

“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;

“The Department has broadened its investigation to identify and pursue any officials involved in the alleged fraudulent scheme, and is obtaining legal advice on the implications of the alleged fraudulent activity on Adetshina's citizenship status; and upon the completion of the investigation, Home Affairs intends to press criminal charges against all implicated parties.

“There are ongoing engagements with all stakeholders, including Adetshina's mother.

“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.

The case also highlights the reason for the Department's blocking of certain duplicate IDs, and that the court-ordered unblocking of these documents must be handled with caution.

“Throughout this process, Home Affairs is guided by our commitment to both restoring and upholding the rule of the law as well as the rights of all parties.”