The controversy surrounding former Miss South Africa finalist Chidimma Adetshina has taken a tragic turn, with reports emerging that she attempted suicide following relentless cyberbullying.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage and calls for accountability, while the Department of Home Affairs has intensified its investigation into the validity of Adetshina’s citizenship.
The cyberbullying, which targeted Adetshina for her mixed heritage and her mother’s citizenship status, reached a fever pitch after the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) found that her mother, of Mozambican descent, possibly committed identity fraud in 2001 to obtain citizenship, the same year Chidimma was born.
“I have withdrawn from the Miss South Africa 2024 competition for the safety and well-being of myself and my family,” she said in a statement posted on social media.
However, the ordeal did not end there. Online harassment continued, culminating in the alleged suicide attempt. A user on X (formerly Twitter) @IgboHistoFacts revealed the news, sparking a wave of concern and condemnation.
Another added, “This phase shall pass and she will come back stronger. I guess those South Africans who drove her to this point are really partying and having all the fun now.”
While some expressed concern, others questioned the veracity of the suicide attempt. “Are you sure or it’s just a speculation?” one user asked.
The DHA, meanwhile, has broadened its investigation into Adetshina’s citizenship, citing the “urgent need for the digital modernisation of Home Affairs applications, adjudication and verification processes, to insulate the department against fraudulent interference.”
The department confirmed that it had received a request from the Miss SA organisers on August 5 to verify Adetshina’s citizenship and has since conducted extensive research, including hospital visits and site inspections.
“Prima facie reasons exist to believe that fraud and identity theft may have been committed by the person recorded in Home Affairs records as Adetshina’s mother,” the department said in a statement.
The investigation has also been expanded to identify and pursue any officials involved in the alleged fraudulent scheme. The DHA is currently seeking legal advice on the matter.
The department has also highlighted the issue of duplicate IDs, which have been blocked by the department as a precautionary measure.
“The court-ordered unblocking of these documents must be handled with caution,” the department said.
The incident has also drawn attention to the broader issue of corruption and abuse within South Africa’s immigration system.
ActionSA chief whip Lerato Ngobeni said the incident involving Adetshina was “but one more in a long list of abuses, corruption and criminal circumvention of the country’s immigration laws spanning decades.”
Ngobeni cited a ministerial review committee report, led by former government director-general Dr Cassius Lubisi, which found that 36 647 fraudulent permits and visa applications were detected between October 2004 and December 2020, with 12 177 of those applications originating from Nigerian nationals.
Despite the controversy surrounding her citizenship, Adetshina has received an invitation to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant.
“As a Nigerian by heritage, we would like to formally invite you to participate in the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024,” said Guy Murray-Bruce, the national director of Miss Universe Nigeria. “This is an opportunity to represent your father’s native land on an international stage. We believe you would be an outstanding contender.”
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