South African citizens have responded to Chidimma Adetshina’s second-place finish at the 73rd Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Mexico City, Mexico on Saturday.
The 23-year-old contestant in the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant was at the center of a citizenship controversy.
The beauty queen was born and raised in South Africa, but her mother is a Mozambican national and her father is Nigerian.
The candidate was compelled to withdraw from the Miss South Africa pageant in August due to allegations of identity fraud made by the South Africa Home Affairs against her parents, who are alleged to have committed the fraud around the time of her birth in order to obtain South African citizenship for her.
South African organisations, including Progressive Forces for South Africa, had petitioned the Miss Universe organisation for her to be excluded from the competition while SA Home Affairs announced that it had begun the process to revoke her SA identity and travel documents.
As congratulatory messages continue to pour in from Nigerians as well as Africans, mixed reactions have trailed her win among South Africans.
While some ascribed her success to her education in their country, others described her as a ‘first loser’, expressing their delight that she didn’t win the coveted title.
Meanwhile, some of Chidimma’s biggest South African supporters, including Thuso Van Zyl described her success as a triumph of good over evil.
