Minister of sport, arts and culture Gayton McKenzie has entered the debate surrounding Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina’s eligibility to compete for the title.

Adetshina has been subjected to scrutiny on social media due to her bloodline. She is a South African, born at Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital to a Nigerian father and a mother of Mozambican descent.

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Many people have questioned her eligibility to contest Miss SA despite being born in South Africa. The debate intensified this week after a video of Adetshina with people, some dressed in Nigerian traditional clothing and celebrating her success in the competition, surfaced online, further fuelling the argument that she was not “South African enough” to compete for the title.

Some people on social media called for McKenzie to intervene. Known for his outspoken views on social media, McKenzie expressed concern about Adetshina’s participation, saying he would look into the matter.

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“I just returned from Paris and will definitely get more information. We truly cannot have Nigerians competing in our Miss SA competition. I want to get all the facts before I comment, but it gives funny vibes already,” McKenzie tweeted.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba also joined the debate.

This young woman is compromising herself by identifying with characters who are likely in South Africa illegally. Bad idea,” Mashaba said on X.

EFF leader Julius Malema spoke about the matter during the party’s podcast interview last week.

Your citizenship is determined by where you were born, so if she was born here, she’s South African. It doesn’t matter. She’s not her parents, she’s herself. So why say she’s from Nigeria or Mozambique? She was born here,” he said.

“We cannot punish people based on where their parents come from. I’ve not followed the debate closely, but I would assume Miss SA has done the necessary due diligence and determined she is a suitable candidate.

“These are issues stirred up by those who spread hate among Africans. Such people should not be supported.”
The controversy started when Adetshina mentioned her parents were not from South Africa in her Miss SA entry video. She is in the top 11, and the criticism has become more intense as she moves closer to the crown.

The Miss SA organisation is yet to issue a formal statement on the matter. However, it has emphasised its strict requirements on its website regarding Miss SA entries: “Miss South Africa entrants must be South African citizens and in possession of a valid South African ID or passport. If an applicant holds dual citizenship, they must provide details of both on the entry form.

“By entering to compete for the title of Miss South Africa 2024, you will be required to consent to and authorise the Miss South Africa organisation to conduct a psychological wellbeing assessment, including resilience testing and background checks to verify the information provided in your entry form, as well as confirmation that you are an upstanding citizen worthy of representing the country.”

With one week remaining to the official crowning of Miss SA, a petition has been launched to remove Adetshina from the competition.