Former Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina returns to Cape Town courtroom in desperate bid to avoid forced removal from South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa – The dramatic legal saga surrounding former Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina intensified Thursday as the 25-year-old beauty queen appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court in her ongoing fight against deportation.
Adetshina, who made history as Nigeria’s highest-ever finisher at the Miss Universe competition, filed a sworn affidavit detailing her efforts to regularize her immigration status a last-ditch attempt to halt government proceedings seeking her removal from the country where she was born and raised.
The Soweto-born pageant star has been entangled in a contentious immigration dispute since her arrest in Cape Town this past June over allegations she lacked valid residency documentation.
The Legal Battle Unfolds
Presiding officials adjourned proceedings until Monday, granting the South African government time to file its formal response to Adetshina’s submissions. The delay sets the stage for what legal observers anticipate will be a fiercely contested legal showdown.
According to an affidavit from immigration officer Adrian Jackson, Department of Home Affairs investigators determined that both Adetshina and her minor son were residing in South Africa without lawful status. Jackson stated that immigration officials conducted residency verification checks and an interview before concluding she possessed no valid documentation to remain in the country.
“The continued stay violates South Africa’s Immigration Act,” Jackson argued, urging the court to permit her detention while deportation proceedings move forward.
A Controversy That Captivated Two Nations
Adetshina’s legal troubles first erupted into public view during her participation in the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant, where questions about her nationality ignited a firestorm of debate. The intense scrutiny and concerns for her family’s safety forced her dramatic withdrawal from the competition.
In a twist that captured international attention, she accepted an invitation from the Silverbird Group to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, ultimately claiming the crown. She went on to represent Nigeria at the international Miss Universe competition, finishing as first runner-up the most successful performance by any Nigerian contestant in the pageant’s history.
Born to a Nigerian father of Igbo heritage and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina’s complex identity has remained at the heart of the legal controversy.
Government’s Stance
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber, who rejected Adetshina’s request for a review of her case in March, has leveled serious allegations against the beauty queen. The minister claimed that after being informed in September 2024 of the department’s intention to cancel her identity documents, Adetshina allegedly failed to respond.
More critically, Schreiber accused her of obtaining a Nigerian passport before applying for a South African visitor’s visa using what authorities describe as a “fraudulent bank statement”—leading to the application’s rejection.
Adetshina was declared a “prohibited person” on December 19, 2024, effectively barring her from obtaining any visa or permit to remain in South Africa. The minister further alleged she re-entered the country through the Lebombo border from Mozambique while presenting herself as a South African citizen.
Her son’s immigration application was also denied, as it was tied to her own application and the child lacked independent legal grounds to stay in the country.
What’s Next
The court will reconvene Monday after the state files its responding affidavits. For Adetshina, the stakes could not be higher a ruling against her could mean deportation from the country she calls home, separation from her young son, and an uncertain future.
As both nations watch closely, this legal battle continues to intertwine issues of citizenship, identity, and belonging in ways that have captivated audiences across Africa and beyond.
