The Guardian
A beauty queen who pulled out of the Miss South Africa competition when her nationality was questioned has said she wants to relocate to Nigeria, after coming second in the Miss Universe pageant while representing the West African country.
Chidimma Adetshina, whose father is Nigerian, was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania and was runner-up to Denmark’s Victoria Kjar Theilvig in Mexico on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old law student withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition in August, saying that she needed to protect herself and her family after the government alleged that her mother had stolen the identity of a South African woman.
Miss Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina competes in the swimsuit section of the 73rd edition of the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico City on Saturday.
Photo: AFP
The matter is being investigated by South African police.
“I have already decided that I want to relocate to Nigeria,” Adetshina said, adding that she did not know whether she could go back to South Africa and that she would work with a lawyer in the hope of getting the situation resolved by the end of the year.
As Adetshina progressed through the Miss South Africa competition, she faced relentless abuse from South Africans who questioned her citizenship because of her Nigerian name and father. She was then invited to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria in August, and won.
Last month, the South African Department of Home Affairs director general told parliament that Adetshina and her mother’s identity documents had been cancelled after the two had not given reasons why they were eligible to keep them.
“I don’t have any animosity towards South Africa,” said Adetshina, who was born in Soweto and had previously said her mother was South African with Mozambican roots.
“At the end of the day it is still a place that I call home, no matter how painful it is to say it,” she added.
