Omanghana
Former Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has returned to the Cape Town Regional Court to contest an application by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs seeking her deportation.
The 25-year-old beauty queen is challenging the government’s claims that she is unlawfully residing in South Africa, arguing that she has taken steps to regularize her immigration status.
Adetshina Files Affidavit in Court
During court proceedings on July 16, 2026, Adetshina submitted an affidavit outlining the measures she says she has taken to resolve her immigration and residency status.
The affidavit forms part of her legal effort to oppose the deportation application brought by the Department of Home Affairs.
State prosecutors are expected to examine her submission before filing a replying affidavit as the case moves forward.
For now, Adetshina remains out of custody after being released on warning following her arrest in June.
Government Seeks Deportation
The Department of Home Affairs’ Central Law Enforcement Unit is pursuing Adetshina’s removal from South Africa, alleging multiple violations of the country’s immigration laws.
According to authorities, Adetshina was arrested on June 6, 2026, after immigration officials located her in the Summer Greens area of Cape Town.
The government alleges that both Adetshina and her minor son are living in South Africa without valid immigration status or lawful documentation.
Court documents filed by immigration officer Adrian Jackson further claim that Adetshina presented herself as a South African citizen when crossing the Lebombo border from Mozambique despite having previously been declared a prohibited person.
Controversy Dates Back to 2024
The current legal battle is the latest chapter in a controversy surrounding Adetshina’s nationality that began during the Miss South Africa 2024 competition.
Born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina withdrew from the pageant after facing widespread xenophobic criticism and becoming the subject of a Department of Home Affairs investigation.
During that investigation, officials said they uncovered prima facie evidence suggesting that her mother, Anabela Rungo, had allegedly obtained South African identity documents through identity fraud in 2001.
Authorities stated that while Adetshina was not personally implicated because she was an infant at the time, her mother’s South African documents were subsequently withdrawn.
Following the investigation, the Department of Home Affairs declared Adetshina a prohibited person on December 19, 2024.
Success on the International Stage
Despite withdrawing from the Miss South Africa competition, Adetshina’s pageant career continued.
She later accepted an invitation to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, where she won the national title before representing Nigeria at the Miss Universe competition.
She went on to finish as the first runner-up, earning international recognition and becoming one of Nigeria’s most celebrated beauty queens.
“I’m a Victim of Circumstances”
Speaking about her ongoing legal battle, Adetshina has maintained that she has committed no crime and is being unfairly affected by circumstances beyond her control.
“I’m just a victim of circumstances. It’s not like I committed any crime,” she said.
She has also vowed to pursue every available legal option to secure permanent residency in South Africa, stating that she grew up in the country and considers it her home.
Case Continues
The Cape Town Regional Court is expected to resume proceedings after prosecutors submit their response to Adetshina’s affidavit.
The outcome of the case could determine whether the former beauty queen is permitted to remain in South Africa or faces deportation under the country’s immigration laws.
Source: Omanghana
