ActionSA has written the Department of Home Affairs urgently to request an explanation of the process by which Chidimma Adetshina’s mother was allowed to leave South Africa and travel to Nigeria.
This is amid the joy and celebration that followed Adetshina’s Saturday crowning as Miss Universe Nigeria 2024.
An ongoing investigation into fraud and identity corruption is primarily focused on Adetshina’s mother.
“As indicated before the portfolio committee on Home Affairs on the 20th of August, the department stated that their investigation into the case of fraud and identity theft is at an advanced stage and includes involvement by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation,” said ActionSA in a statement.
Fraudulent applications
“It is therefore alarming that the main subject of this ongoing investigation was seen in Nigeria this past weekend during a televised broadcast of Miss Universe Nigeria.
“Given the nature of the investigation, which involves circumventing immigration controls, it is reasonable to expect that any travel would be restricted, especially to Nigeria.
“As highlighted in the June 2022 report by the ministerial committee on the issuance of permits and visas, of the 36 647 fraudulent applications detected, 12 177, or one-third, originated from Nigerians, underscoring the scale of the problem.
“ActionSA believes these alarming figures highlight widespread efforts to undermine South Africa’s immigration regime and sovereignty and therefore demands that the government not take a lax approach to enforcing our laws, especially when fraud is uncovered, as in the case of Chidimma Adetshina’s mother.”
Identity theft
Adetshina’s mother, who is a Mozambican, is alleged to have applied for a legitimate South African ID in 1995 after stealing the identity of a South African in 1982.
The beauty queen’s father is Nigerian.
On August 5, Miss South Africa organisers contacted Home Affairs to enquire about Adetshina’s citizenship after she withdrew from the pageant two days before the event.
She then accepted Miss Universe Nigeria’s invitation to compete in their pageant, which she went on to win with the support of South Africans.
