Home Affairs to revoke Chidimma Adetshina's ID
The Department of Home Affairs told Parliament on Tuesday that Chidimma Adetshina and her mother have yet to make any submissions on their citizenship.
A deadline of Monday was set for the two to respond to the department.
The department began a process to verify Adetshina's citizenship in August after it received an official request from the Miss SA organisers to clarify the immigration status of contestant Chidimma Adetshina.
The 23-year-old finalist is said to have been born in Soweto to a Mozambican mother and a Nigerian father.
Updating Parliament on Tuesday, Home Affairs Director General Tommy Makhonde told MPs that the department has completed its investigations into the matter and has handed it over to the Hawks.
"That matter is currently with the DPCI. They've concluded that investigation, according to [Hawks head] General Lebeya. They are now waiting for the NPA to advise them on the next steps.
“From our side, we've ended the fight. We've completed the work, which was done by Counter Corruption and Security Services. That work is done.
"We've actually written to both Adetshina and the mom. Yesterday [Monday] was the last day that they needed to give us reasons as to why those documents should not be withdrawn. As of yesterday, we have not received any response, and therefore, the department will be proceeding with the withdrawal of those documents in line with the Identification Act."
The department said photographs taken at the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 confirmed that Adetshina’s mother left South Africa during the investigation.
"We couldn’t find a trace of the passport that she has been using to come to South Africa from Mozambique on the movement to Nigeria," said Acting Deputy Director-General for Immigration, Albert Matsaung.
Meanwhile, Adetshina's social media shows her travelling to Mexico from the United States where she had been participating in the Miss Universe pageant.
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