Controversy has been surrounding Miss SA Finalist Tshidima Vanessa Adetshina about whether being born in South Africa with a parental ancestry of Nigerian descent and having a Nigerian surname holds grounds on whether she should be allowed to continue participating in the 2024 Miss SA competition.
Some strong voices on social media insist that she’s not South African despite being born in the country, arguing that because her father is of Nigerian descent and carries a Nigerian surname, she does not qualify to participate in Miss SA. As a result of these public aspersions, a petition was issued to try to stop her from contesting in Miss SA.
Public figures such as Pearl Thusi and DJ Sbu weighed in on the matter, going against popular opinions and insisting Chidima has been South African since she was born in the country. Both media personalities, Pearl and DJ Sbuda suffered backlash and criticism for their stance, with tweeps firing shots at them.
To put the matter to rest, former public protector Prof Thuli Madonsela gave legal clarification about the matter referencing the law: “Dear #FellowSouthAfricans, please note that based on applying s(2)(1) of the Citizenship Act of 1995 on information in the public domain, Ms Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina is a South African by birth lawfully participating in the Ms South Africa Competition. Should she win, she is entitled to represent us as #MissSA2024 #MissSA. As indicated yesterday, your parents need not have been South African for you to be a citizen by birth. Please, let’s stop the noise and support #Chidimma and all #MissSA contestants 1/.”
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