South Africa: Beauty Queen Chidimma Adetshina fights deportation

South African beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina has maintained that she was born in the country and says she has been unfairly singled out as authorities seek to deport her.

The 25-year-old is challenging a decision that declared her a prohibited person in South Africa. A legal case brought by the government seeking her detention was postponed on Wednesday, with the matter now expected to return to court in February 2027.

Speaking outside the court in Cape Town, Adetshina said she had followed the legal process to establish her citizenship and accused authorities of trying to use her case as an example.

“I remind everyone that I was born in South Africa,” she said. “I have applied through the proper legal channels to have my status and citizenship determined.”

She also warned against allowing xenophobia and misinformation to influence how people are treated.

Her comments came as protesters from anti-migrant group March and March gathered outside the court and called for her deportation. Some protesters followed her car as she left the building.

Citizenship dispute

Adetshina's citizenship has been under scrutiny since she became a finalist in the 2024 Miss South Africa competition.

She was born in Soweto and grew up in Cape Town, according to previous interviews. Her mother, Anabela Rungo, has Mozambican roots, while her father is Nigerian.

The controversy over her nationality led to Adetshina withdrawing from the Miss South Africa contest. South African authorities subsequently revoked her identity and travel documents following allegations that her mother had committed identity fraud to obtain South African nationality.

Rungo's South African citizenship was later revoked in 2025.

South African law does not automatically grant citizenship to everyone born in the country. Citizenship by birth depends on the legal status of a person's parents, including whether at least one parent is a South African citizen or permanent resident.

Deportation dispute

After leaving South Africa in 2024, Adetshina was invited to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria, which she went on to win.

South African authorities now argue that she returned to the country unlawfully. During court proceedings, the Home Affairs Department said she had applied for a South African visa while in Nigeria and had obtained Nigerian passports for herself and her son, according to reports by News24.

Officials also allege that she entered South Africa through a border crossing from Mozambique.

Adetshina has rejected the suggestion that she has no legitimate connection to South Africa, previously describing the country as her home.

She was arrested in June after allegedly returning to South Africa unlawfully but was later released on warning.

Her deportation challenge remains before the courts. Wednesday's postponement gives her time to pursue a separate legal review of the Home Affairs Department's decision.

For now, she remains free while the legal process continues.