Adetshina Returns to Court Over South African Deportation Battle

Former Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, appeared before a South African court on Thursday as legal proceedings resumed over the government’s attempt to deport her. The 25-year-old beauty queen has been entangled in a protracted immigration dispute since her arrest in Cape Town in June, following allegations that she is residing in South Africa without valid legal status.

During the hearing at the Cape Town Regional Court, Adetshina submitted an affidavit outlining the measures she has taken to regularize her residency status in a bid to block her deportation. However, the court adjourned the case until Monday to give the South African government time to file its formal response to her submissions.

Adetshina’s legal challenges originally began during her participation in the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant, where intense public scrutiny over her nationality led her to withdraw from the competition due to safety concerns for herself and her family. Born in Soweto to a Nigerian father of Igbo descent and a Mozambican mother, her citizenship has remained under intense administrative review. Following her exit from the South African pageant, she accepted an invitation to compete in the 2024 Miss Universe Nigeria competition, which she won. She went on to represent Nigeria at the global Miss Universe pageant, finishing as the first runner-up.

According to state immigration officials, investigations revealed that Adetshina and her minor son do not possess valid documentation to remain in the country. Authorities argue that her continued stay violates South Africa’s Immigration Act and have requested her detention pending deportation.

The South African Ministry of Home Affairs previously rejected Adetshina’s requests for administrative relief. The government alleges that the Department of Home Affairs notified her in September 2024 of its intent to cancel her identity documents, to which she failed to respond. Authorities further state she was officially declared a prohibited person on December 19, 2024, making her ineligible for any South African visas. The state also claims she previously used a fraudulent bank statement to apply for a visitor’s visa after obtaining a Nigerian passport, and later re-entered South Africa via the Mozambican border while claiming South African citizenship.

The immigration status of her minor son was also denied on the grounds that his legal stay is tied entirely to his mother’s status. The Cape Town Regional Court is expected to resume the hearing on Monday once the state files its responding affidavits.