By Emmanuel Nduka
Former Miss Universe Nigeria and Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, Chidimma Adetshina, is once again at the centre of an immigration controversy in South Africa after authorities reportedly initiated fresh legal proceedings aimed at deporting her from the country.
The 25-year-old beauty queen allegedly appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court on June 9 following her arrest in the Summer Greens area of Cape Town. According to South African newspaper Sunday World, she was released on warning and is expected to return to court next month as the Department of Home Affairs pursues her deportation.
Court documents filed by immigration officer Adrian Jackson claimed that Adetshina and her young son were found living in South Africa without valid immigration status.
Jackson stated that immigration officials identified Adetshina through an earlier investigation before conducting electronic checks and an interview to verify her residency status.
According to his affidavit, the checks confirmed that Adetshina “does not hold any lawful residential status” in South Africa and is therefore regarded as an illegal foreign national under the country’s immigration laws.
The immigration officer further alleged that she had deliberately remained in South Africa without legal authorisation, in violation of the Immigration Act, and urged the court to authorise her detention pending deportation.
The latest development comes months after South African Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber rejected Adetshina’s request to review the department’s refusal to issue her a letter of good cause.
Schreiber said the department had informed Adetshina in September 2024 of its intention to cancel both her South African identity documents and those of her son, but claimed she failed to respond to the notice.
The minister also alleged that after obtaining a Nigerian passport, Adetshina applied for a South African visitor’s visa using what authorities described as a fraudulent bank statement, resulting in the application being rejected.
He added that she was declared a prohibited person on December 19, 2024, making her ineligible for any visa or permit to remain in South Africa.
Schreiber further claimed that Adetshina later crossed back into South Africa from Mozambique through the Lebombo border while presenting herself as a South African citizen before submitting another application seeking immigration relief.
According to him, her son’s immigration application was also rejected because it depended entirely on hers and he had no separate legal basis to remain in the country.
Following her latest court appearance, the court ordered Adetshina to remain at the address where she was arrested and to notify investigating immigration officers of any changes to her residence, employment or movements while the case is pending.
Adetshina first became the subject of a heated nationality debate in 2024 after qualifying as a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant. Questions surrounding her citizenship sparked widespread public scrutiny, prompting her withdrawal from the competition.
She later accepted an invitation to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe competition, where she won the Miss Universe Nigeria title before finishing as the first runner-up at the global pageant. She also earned the continental title of Miss Universe Africa and Oceania.
Despite her international success, South African authorities have continued to challenge her citizenship and immigration status, insisting that she has no legal right to reside in the country. The ongoing court proceedings are expected to determine whether she will ultimately be deported.
