Chidimma Adetshina, a 23-year-old beauty queen, is facing backlash after advancing to the top 16 of the Miss South Africa (Miss SA) Pageant.
Born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and South African mother, Adetshina has been targeted by some South Africans who claim she is not “truly South African.”
According to a South African vlogger, some South Africans are not pleased that Adetshina made the top 16 in the pageant. They claim her Nigerian background disqualifies her and resort to harmful stereotypes about Nigerians.
However, responding to the trolls, the beauty queen said in various interviews that she is a South African and qualified to compete at the pageant.
“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 the fact that I am South African; my mother is South African, and I was born and raised in this country,” she said.
However, the Miss SA organisation confirmed in a statement that Adetshina met all the requirements to participate in the pageant.
“All documentation provided by the entrants is screened and vetted. Chidimma is a South African citizen and has met all the requirements to be a part of the Miss South Africa competition. Her mother is South African (Zulu), and her father is Nigerian,” they said in the statement.
According to the organisation, to be eligible to contest the pageant, the contestant must be a South African citizen and possess a valid ID or passport.
If the contestant holds dual citizenship, documents relating to both must be made available.
Also, as the amended South African Citizenship Act states, citizenship can be acquired by birth, descent, or naturalisation.
However, many South Africans are against people of different heritage to contest. In 2001, Vanessa Carreira, born to Portuguese-Angolan parents in South Africa, won the Miss South Africa title.
(NAN)
