Court Proceedings Resume in Deportation Case
Chidinma Adetshina, the former Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court on Thursday as South African authorities pressed ahead with deportation proceedings against her. The case stems from allegations that she has been residing in the country unlawfully.
Adetshina, who was arrested in June in Cape Town, submitted an affidavit during the hearing outlining the steps she has taken to regularise her immigration status. She left the court after filing the document, as she fights to avoid deportation.
Background of the Case
The deportation process began in June after immigration officers arrested Adetshina in Summer Greens, Cape Town, for allegedly living in South Africa without valid documentation. She was released on a warning after her initial court appearance. According to the BBC, she returned to court on the adjourned date as the Department of Home Affairs continued its efforts to deport her.
Immigration officer Adrian Jackson submitted documents showing that the Department of Home Affairs' Central Law Enforcement Unit had tracked her location. Jackson stated that Adetshina and her young son had been living in South Africa without valid immigration documentation. He said he was already acquainted with her from a previous investigation and explained that officials verified her personal details through the department's electronic database before interviewing her to determine her immigration status. Jackson asked the court to authorise her continued detention, arguing it would allow the department to fulfil its legal duty of deporting people found to be unlawfully residing in South Africa.
Previous Developments
The latest court proceedings followed an earlier decision by Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber, who dismissed Adetshina's application for a review of the department's refusal to grant her and her son a letter of good cause. By rejecting the review application, the minister upheld the department's earlier decision.
In his written submission, Schreiber said Adetshina had been informed in September 2024 that the department intended to cancel both her South African identity documents and those issued to her son. He added that she secured a Nigerian passport while in Nigeria before later applying for a South African visitor's visa. Schreiber also stated that Adetshina was declared a prohibited person on 19 December 2024. He further alleged that she later re-entered South Africa from Mozambique through the Lebombo border post while claiming to be a South African citizen. The minister also turned down the immigration application submitted on behalf of Adetshina's son.
Public Scrutiny and Pageant Career
The deportation case emerged barely two years after Adetshina's Nigerian heritage triggered fierce public scrutiny and backlash following her entry into the Miss South Africa 2024 pageant. Born in Soweto to a Nigerian Igbo father and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina had progressed to the Top 30 of the Miss SA competition before the backlash intensified. Miss Universe Nigeria organisers subsequently invited her to represent Taraba State, and she went on to win the title, flying Nigeria's flag at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant in Mexico.
