Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina faces deportation from South Africa

Former Miss South Africa finalist and Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, is facing deportation from South Africa after the country’s Department of Home Affairs alleged that she is living in the country without legal status.

The 25-year-old beauty pageant queen made headlines when she became a Miss SA finalist in 2024 and later withdrew her participation after controversy over her citizenship.

On June 9, she appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court after her arrest in Summer Greens. Adetshina, who was released on a warning, is due back in court next month as the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) pursues her deportation. 

Court papers filed by immigration officer Adrian Jackson set out the department’s case for detaining Adetshina for the purpose of deportation. Jackson said Adetshina is “known to me through a previous investigation”.

He said the Department of Home Affairs’ central law enforcement office identified Adetshina’s whereabouts and found that she and her minor son were allegedly living in South Africa without legal status.

“In this affidavit, I shall now motivate reasons for deeming it to be in the interest of justice to detain this person for the purpose of deportation to the country of origin.”

According to the affidavit, officials verified Adetshina’s details against the department’s electronic systems and interviewed her to determine her immigration status.

“After the above ‘status determination’ interview and the DHA residency IT systems checks, it was confirmed that the applicant does not hold any lawful RSA residential status and is thus an illegal foreigner,” Jackson’s affidavit reads.

“It is my submission that the illegal foreigner wilfully and intentionally remained resident unlawfully in RSA in contravention of the Immigration Act 13 of 2022.”

Jackson asked the court to “confirm the detention of the illegal foreigner for the purpose of deportation for the Department of Home Affairs to fulfil its mandate in facilitating the removal of illegal foreigners from the Republic of South Africa”.

The latest court proceedings follow an earlier decision by Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber, who in March dismissed Adetshina’s application to review the department’s refusal of her and her son’s request for a letter of good cause. In doing so, he upheld the department’s earlier decision.

In a written response, Schreiber said Adetshina had been informed in September 2024 that the department intended to cancel her and her child’s South African identity documents.

“The department notified you of its intention … in September 2024, and you failed to respond,” Schreiber said.

He said Adetshina was issued a Nigerian passport while in Nigeria before applying for a South African visitor’s visa.

“On 20 September 2024, you were issued with a Nigerian passport number … whilst you were in Nigeria, and you applied for a South African visitor’s visa, and your application was rejected because you submitted a fraudulent bank statement. You did not appeal the rejection.”

Schreiber said Adetshina was subsequently declared a prohibited person on December 19, 2024.

“In terms of the Immigration Act, a prohibited person does not qualify for any visa or permit to remain in the Republic,” Schreiber said.

He also alleged that Adetshina later entered South Africa through the Lebombo border post from Mozambique while presenting herself as a South African citizen.

“You re-entered South Africa through Mozambique, at the Lebombo border post, on 15 June 2024, presenting yourself as a South African citizen using passport number… and then applied for a letter of good cause, of which you failed the good cause test as stipulated in the Immigration Regulation 30(1).”

The minister also rejected the immigration application relating to Adetshina’s son.

“As the application for the minor child was submitted as a dependency on that of the primary applicant, his legal status is inextricably linked to hers,” Schreiber said.

“Given the rejection of the primary applicant’s request due to her prohibited status and the submission of fraudulent documentation, the minor child possesses no independent basis to remain in the Republic.”

After her first court appearance, the Cape Town Regional Court released Adetshina on a warning and postponed the matter to July 16.

As part of her release conditions, she was ordered to remain at the address where she was arrested and to notify the investigating immigration officer of any changes to her residence, employment or movements while the matter is pending.