A year after stepping down from the Miss South Africa pageant, Chidimma Adetshina is looking back on how that moment changed her life.
The 24-year-old, now crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, had withdrawn from the competition following controversy over her nationality. She later competed in Miss Universe Nigeria, where she emerged victorious.
In a recent Instagram story, she shared a video from August 12 last year, just days after her withdrawal, captioned: “Last year, on this day, my dream was shattered in front of my eyes, but I’m grateful for this journey.”
Born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina’s identity came under intense public scrutiny. Authorities alleged that her mother had obtained South African citizenship fraudulently in 2001, sparking further debate online.
Recently, her return to South Africa has stirred new controversy, with calls from activist groups for her deportation, citing immigration law violations. Some critics have accused authorities of failing to enforce deportation rules, claiming that certain removals are staged and temporary.