Chidinma Adetshina Withdraws From Miss SA Pageant

Chidinma Adetshina Withdraws From Miss SA Pageant

Miss South Africa finalist, Chidima “Chichi” Adetshina, has withdrawn from the pageant, two days before the crowning of the queen.

This comes after the Department of Home Affairs announced last night that her mother, who is reportedly a Mozambican national, allegedly stole a South African woman's ID to register the beauty queen's birth in 2001.

In a statement posted on her Instagram account today, Adetshina said she made the difficult decision to withdraw from the competition for the safety and wellbeing of her family.

In her withdrawal statement, Adetshina said: “I would like to start off by thanking everyone who has stood beside me right from the start of my Miss South Africa journey. I'm really grateful for all the love and support I have been shown.”

Chidinma Adetshina Withdraws From Miss SA Pageant

She added, “Being part of the Miss South Africa 2024 competition has been an amazing journey; however, after much careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw myself from the competition for the safety and wellbeing of my family and me. With the support of the Miss South Africa Organisation, I leave with a heart full of gratitude for this amazing experience.”

She concluded by wishing the other finalists luck.

“Whoever wears the crown represents us all,” she said in the statement.

The Department of Home Affairs Minister, Leon Schreiber, confirmed that Adetshina is not a South African citizen and that people who were involved in the fraud case would be prosecuted.

Schreiber said that the department was providing the update to the public based on the official request received from Miss SA, as well as the consent provided by both the contestant and her mother.

Home Affairs Alleges Adetshina's Mother Committed Fraud

He said upon receiving the request, the department deployed every resource at its disposal to establish the truth.