Chidimma Adetshina says she was born in South Africa amid deport bid
Chidimma Adetshina, the beauty queen facing deportation from South Africa, told reporters after a Cape Town court hearing on Wednesday that she was born in the country and has been treated unfairly. The government's bid to detain her was postponed to February 2027 while she challenges Home Affairs' deportation order in the High Court.
Adetshina, 25, remains free for now. The Cape Town Regional Court said it cannot rule on whether she should be detained until the High Court decides her review of the deportation decision, according to Eyewitness News.
Key Takeaways
- Chidimma Adetshina reiterated she was born in South Africa after a Cape Town court hearing on 19 August 2026.
- The government's legal bid to detain her for deportation was postponed to February 2027.
- She must stay at the same address and report regularly to an immigration officer until judgment.
- Home Affairs declared her a prohibited person in 2024 and stripped her of South African identity documents.
- Protesters from anti-migrant groups gathered outside the courthouse calling for her deportation.
Why is South Africa trying to deport Chidimma Adetshina?
Adetshina's citizenship came under scrutiny when she reached the finals of the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant. Questions were raised because her mother has Mozambican roots and her father is Nigerian, the BBC reported.
She withdrew from the contest as the dispute grew. Home Affairs later stripped her of her South African identity and travel documents following allegations that her mother, Anabela Rungo, had committed identity fraud to obtain South African nationality. Rungo had her citizenship revoked in 2025.
Under South African law, being born in the country does not automatically confer citizenship. At least one parent must be a citizen or permanent resident. Adetshina has said she was born in Soweto and grew up in Cape Town.
What did the Cape Town court decide on Wednesday?
Magistrate Reema Khorana postponed judgment in the deportation case to February 2027. The court outlined that it is not in a position to determine whether Adetshina should be detained until the High Court has ruled on her review application challenging Home Affairs' decision to deport her.
Adetshina was arrested in June 2026 and later released on warning after being accused of re-entering South Africa unlawfully via a Mozambican border post. Officials argued she applied for a South African visa while in Nigeria and held Nigerian passports for herself and her son, implying she was not a South African citizen.
Speaking outside court, Adetshina said authorities were trying to make an example of her. "I remind everyone that I was born in South Africa," she said. "We should not allow xenophobia and misinformation to determine how people are going to be treated."
What happens next in Adetshina's legal fight?
Adetshina has applied through proper legal channels to have her status and citizenship determined, she told reporters. She remains at liberty but must remain at the same address and report regularly to an immigration officer pending the final outcome.
After leaving South Africa in 2024, she went on to win Miss Universe Nigeria. Her case now hinges on the High Court review of Home Affairs' deportation order before the regional court can decide on detention.
Protesters from groups including March and March and Operation Dudula gathered outside the courthouse. Some chased her car as she left. As debates over identity records and public scrutiny intensify, related coverage also appears in our Future Tech & AI Wonders section.