Chidimma Adetshina: ‘I Was Targeted, Treated Unfairly’ as South Africa Pushes Deportation Case

Former Miss South Africa contestant and Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 winner, Chidimma Adetshina, has accused South African authorities of unfairly targeting her in an ongoing legal battle over her citizenship, detention and possible deportation.

Adetshina made the allegation after the Cape Town Regional Court postponed proceedings in the case.

Speaking to journalists after the court session, the beauty queen, who was born in South Africa, said she remained confident in the country’s judicial system and had followed the appropriate legal channels to establish her citizenship and legal status.

“I have applied through the proper legal channels to have my status and citizenship determined. I believe that I have been treated unfairly and targeted and there has been an attempt to make me an example,” she said.

However, Adetshina said she would not allow the controversy to fuel anger, xenophobia or misinformation.

“South Africa is governed by the rule of law and we should not allow xenophobia and misinformation to determine how people are going to be treated,” she added.

She also called for the principles of Ubuntu to guide the handling of her case, stressing that she would continue to respect the legal process.

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The Cape Town Regional Court subsequently ruled that it could not make a decision confirming Adetshina’s detention pending proceedings at the Western Cape High Court.

The matter has now been postponed until February 2027, while Adetshina continues to pursue the case through the courts.

The latest development adds another chapter to the controversy surrounding Adetshina, whose participation in the Miss South Africa pageant in 2024 sparked intense debate over her nationality and eligibility before she later represented Nigeria at Miss Universe.