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South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs provided an update on the ongoing investigation into the citizenship of Chidimma Adetshina, a contestant in the upcoming Miss SA 2024.
The ongoing investigation’s scope has broadened since the original request received from the organizers of Miss SA, based on the information uncovered by Home Affairs investigators thus far.
The Department and the Miniter nonetheless provided a public update based on the official request received from Miss SA, along with the consent from the contestant and her mother, with a final update to be shared once the investigation is concluded.
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On Monday, 05 August 2024, the organizers of Miss SA sent the Department of Home Affairs a request to verify the citizenship of its contestant, Chidimma Adetshina. This request was accompanied by written consent from both Adetshina and her mother.
Upon receiving this request, the Department deployed every resource at its disposal to establish the truth. This has included archival research, visits to hospitals, and site visits to verify information.
From the information uncovered thus far, the Department of Home Affairs can indicate that:
- Prima facie reasons exist to believe that fraud and identity theft may have been committed by the person recorded in Home Affairs records as Chidimma Adetshina’s mother;
- Adetshina could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her;
- An innocent South African mother, whose identity may have been stolen as part of the alleged fraud committed by Adetshina’s mother, suffered as a result because she could not register her child;
The Department has broadened its investigation to identify and pursue any Home Affairs officials involved in the alleged fraudulent scheme and is obtaining legal advice on the implications of the alleged fraudulent activity on Adetshina’s citizenship status.
Upon completing the investigation, Home Affairs intends to press criminal charges against all implicated parties. There are ongoing engagements with all stakeholders, including Adetshina’s mother.
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The Department of Home Affairs further commented that this case, which stems from alleged fraudulent activities committed 23 years ago, highlights the urgent need for the digital modernization of Home Affairs applications, adjudication, and verification processes, to insulate the Department against fraudulent interference, similar to the reforms undertaken at the South African Revenue Service in the late 2000s.
The case also highlights why the Department blocks certain duplicate IDs, and that the court-ordered unblocking of these documents must be handled with caution. Throughout this process, Home Affairs is guided by our commitment to both restoring and upholding the rule of law as well as the rights of all parties.
Who is Chidimma Adetshina?
Chidimma is a 23-year-old model, netball player, and a Bachelor of Law student at Varsity College based in Soweto, South Africa. She is passionate about sports and advocating for change in violence against women and children and gender-based violence. She describes herself as ambitious, confident, and optimistic. Her motto for Miss SA 2024 is “Dreams are valid when actions are taken.”
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