Former Miss South Africa finalist and Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 Chidimma Adetshina is fighting for her South African citizenship in the High Court, insisting she was born in South Africa and that the only home she has ever known is in this country. Image: Supplied
Former Miss South Africa finalist and Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 Chidimma Adetshina appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court on Wednesday 19 August 2026. The Chidimma Adetshina citizenship case involves competing claims about her right to remain in South Africa. Furthermore, Magistrate Reema Khorana postponed judgment to 23 February 2027. As a result, one of South Africa’s most contested citizenship disputes will continue well into next year.
Speaking outside court for the first time since her arrest in June 2026, Adetshina addressed journalists directly. “I remind everyone that I was born in South Africa. I have applied through the proper legal channels to have my status and citizenship determined,” she said. She urged South Africans not to allow xenophobia and misinformation to influence how people are treated. Furthermore, she said she remained confident in the country’s legal system. Outside the court a small group of Operation Dudula supporters protested and called for her to leave South Africa. As a result, the scene outside court reflected the sharp division the case has generated among South Africans.
Adetshina says she was born in Johannesburg on 8 January 2001 at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto. Her mother Anabella Carlos Runga was born in Mozambique but has lived in South Africa for more than three decades. Her father Michael Adetshina holds dual South African and Nigerian citizenship. Adetshina attended school here and represented Western Province in netball. She applied for and received her South African identity document and passport after reaching adulthood. She is currently a law student.
In her court affidavit she argues she cannot be held responsible for circumstances that occurred before her birth. Furthermore, her legal team says the department’s decision to cancel her documents is unfair, unreasonable and unlawful. As a result, her case rests on the argument that a child cannot be punished for what a parent allegedly did before that child was born.
The Department of Home Affairs holds a different position. Investigators found that someone registered Adetshina’s birth using an identity document in the name of Sara Moyo, a South African woman whose identity someone allegedly stole. Further investigations confirmed the registration broke the Births and Deaths Registration Act. Immigration officer Adrian Jackson said in a responding affidavit that Adetshina’s status is the product of a fraudulent birth registration. “It is common cause that Adetshina knows that her status in the country is the fruit of a poisoned tree flowing from a fraudulent registration of her birth,” Jackson said.
Furthermore, the department argues that a South African woman whose identity someone stole could not register her own child because of the alleged fraud. The department cancelled Adetshina and her mother’s identity documents and passports in October 2024. It also classified Adetshina as a prohibited person under the Immigration Act. As a result, she cannot access the full rights of a South African citizen while the case proceeds.
South African lawyer Craig Smith told media he did not see a clear legal path for Adetshina to succeed. “I don’t really see an out in this regard. I can’t see how they’re going to succeed in turning that decision around because it was predicated on fraud,” Smith said. He explained that two separate legal frameworks create obstacles for her. Both the Citizenship Act and the Immigration Act work against her position. Furthermore, he noted that even if Adetshina acted in good faith, the legal consequences of a fraudulent birth registration flow through to the person registered. As a result, the legal picture is more complex than either side’s public statements suggest.
The case has its roots in the controversy surrounding Adetshina’s entry into the Miss South Africa pageant in August 2024. She reached the Top 16. Questions about her citizenship triggered intense public debate and online abuse. Adetshina withdrew from the pageant. She went on to represent Nigeria at Miss Universe 2024, finishing as first runner-up, Nigeria’s highest ever placement at the competition. Furthermore, an old video resurfaced during the legal battle in which Adetshina described herself as feeling Nigerian. Some South Africans cited it as relevant to her claim of South African identity. Her supporters argued it did not contradict her birth and upbringing in South Africa. As a result, the case involves not only legal arguments but deeply contested questions about identity, nationality and belonging.
Adetshina is the first applicant in the High Court matter. Her three-year-old son is the second. The outcome will determine not only whether she can reclaim her identity documents but also whether South Africa can recognise her child as a citizen. The case raises questions about how South Africa treats children born here to parents whose documentation may have been irregular. Both questions have implications beyond this individual case. As a result, the court’s eventual ruling will interest legal experts, immigration advocates and those who believe the integrity of South Africa’s citizenship system must be protected.
For more on South African citizenship law visit dha.gov.za.
Editors Note No court has proven any allegations about Chidimma Adetshina’s birth registration. The Department of Home Affairs maintains it found prima facie evidence of fraud. Adetshina denies wrongdoing and maintains she was born in South Africa. Magistrate Reema Khorana postponed judgment to 23 February 2027 pending a High Court review. Mzansi Today Live will update this article as further information becomes available.