Former Miss SA finalist challenges application to remove her from South Africa over immigration status dispute
Former Miss South Africa finalist and Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 winner Chidimma Adetshina has returned to court as she continues her legal battle against a deportation application brought by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs.
Adetshina appeared at the Cape Town Regional Court on Thursday, 16 July, where she was expected to submit an affidavit outlining the steps she has taken to regularise her immigration status.
The affidavit forms part of her challenge against the department’s efforts to have her deported from South Africa.
The legal dispute follows her arrest in June after Home Affairs officials alleged that she was residing in the country without valid immigration status.
Adetshina was arrested in Summersgreen, Cape Town, after authorities claimed she and her minor son were living in South Africa unlawfully.
She first appeared in court on 9 June and was released on warning, with the matter postponed for further legal proceedings.
According to court documents, authorities allege that Adetshina claimed to be a South African citizen when she entered the country through the Lebombo border from Mozambique.
The Department of Home Affairs said it later discovered that she and her son did not have lawful immigration status in South Africa.
The latest legal proceedings are linked to a wider documentation controversy that emerged in 2024 when Adetshina became a finalist in the Miss South Africa competition.
Her participation in the pageant sparked public debate over her citizenship and background, eventually leading to an investigation by Home Affairs.
The department previously stated that it had uncovered preliminary evidence suggesting that Adetshina’s mother, Anabela Rungo, may have committed identity theft years earlier in order to obtain official identity documents.
Rungo was arrested following the investigation and was later granted R10,000 bail by the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court. There have been no further public updates regarding her case.
The controversy surrounding Adetshina’s citizenship attracted significant public attention during her Miss South Africa journey.
Following the backlash and questions surrounding her eligibility, she withdrew from the competition before accepting an opportunity to represent Nigeria at Miss Universe Nigeria 2024.
She went on to win the Nigerian national title and later achieved international success at Miss Universe 2024 in Mexico City, where she finished as first runner-up.
Adetshina was also awarded the titles of Miss Universe Africa and Oceania 2024, further establishing her profile on the global pageant stage.
The 25-year-old beauty queen stepped away from social media earlier this year but returned to the public eye amid the ongoing immigration dispute.
As the court battle continues, Adetshina is seeking to challenge Home Affairs’ deportation application while working to clarify her immigration status.
The case has remained closely watched due to her public profile and the controversy that has surrounded her since her Miss South Africa appearance in 2024.
