South African authorities have started the process to deport Chidimma Adetshina, the former Miss Universe Nigeria 2024. Officers arrested her in Cape Town in June for allegedly staying in the country without proper documents.
This situation has put the 25-year-old model in more legal trouble. This comes just two years after her Nigerian roots caused a lot of public criticism when she entered the Miss South Africa 2024 pageant.
Chidimma was born in Soweto to a Nigerian Igbo father and a Mozambican mother. She made it to the Top 30 of the Miss SA competition before facing serious backlash.
Later, the Miss Universe Nigeria organizers chose her to represent Taraba State. She went on to win the title and carried Nigeria’s flag at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant in Mexico.
Her immigration status in South Africa was unclear until June 9. On that day, she appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court after being arrested in Summer Greens, as reported by Sunday World.
The court let her go with a warning, and she is set to return in July. The Department of Home Affairs is moving forward with her deportation process.
Court Documents
Court documents from immigration officer Adrian Jackson show that the Central Law Enforcement Unit tracked her down. It is claimed that she and her young son were living in South Africa without valid immigration papers.
Mr Jackson said he knew about Adetshina from a previous investigation. The affidavit mentions that immigration officials checked her personal details using the department’s electronic system before interviewing her to find out her immigration status.
"In this affidavit, I will explain why it is necessary to detain this person for deportation to her home country," the affidavit states. "After the status determination interview and the checks from the residency IT systems, it was clear that the applicant does not have any lawful RSA residential status and is therefore an illegal foreigner. I believe that this illegal foreigner knowingly and intentionally stayed in RSA unlawfully, breaking the Immigration Act 13 of 2022," Mr Jackson’s affidavit reads.
Illegal Foreigners
Mr Jackson asked the court to allow the continued detention of what he called an illegal foreign national. This would help the Department of Home Affairs do its job of deporting people who are in South Africa without permission.
This latest legal action comes after a previous decision by the Minister of Home Affairs, Leon Schreiber. In March, he turned down Ms Adetshina’s request for a review of the department’s decision to deny her and her son’s application for a letter of good cause.
By rejecting the application, the minister confirmed the department’s earlier decision. In his written statement, Mr Schreiber said Ms Adetshina was informed in September 2024 about the department’s plan to revoke both her South African identity documents and her son’s.
He explained that Adetshina got a Nigerian passport while in Nigeria and then applied for a South African visitor’s visa. "The department informed you of its plan in September 2024, and you did not respond. On September 20, 2024, you received a Nigerian passport in Nigeria. You then applied for a South African visitor’s visa, but your application was turned down because you provided a fake bank statement. You did not appeal the decision," he stated.
Prohibited Person
Mr Schreiber noted that Adetshina was declared a prohibited person on December 19, 2024. He also claimed that she re-entered South Africa through the Lebombo border from Mozambique, pretending to be a South African citizen.
He said, "According to the Immigration Act, a prohibited person cannot get any visa or permit to stay in the Republic. You came back into South Africa through Mozambique at the Lebombo border on June 15, 2024, claiming to be a South African citizen using your passport number. Then you applied for a letter of good cause, but you did not pass the good cause test as required by the Immigration Regulation 30(1)."
Immigration
The minister also turned down the immigration application for Ms Adetshina’s son. "Since the child’s application was based on that of the main applicant, his legal status is tied to hers. Given that the main applicant's request was rejected due to her prohibited status and the use of false documents, the child has no independent right to stay in the Republic," Mr Schreiber said.
After her first court appearance, the Cape Town Regional Court allowed Adetshina to leave with a warning. They postponed the case to July 16. As part of her bail conditions, she must stay at the address where she was arrested and inform the immigration officer of any changes to her address, job, or movements while the case continues.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇