The Patriotic Alliance (PA) has filed an urgent court application demanding that the Department of Home Affairs declare Chidimma Adetshina a non-South African.
This comes after the department revealed on Wednesday that Adetshina’s mother possibly committed fraud and identity theft to gain South African citizenship.
Following the department’s announcement, Adetshina withdrew her participation in the beauty pageant on Thursday afternoon, citing the safety and wellbeing of her family and herself.
The PA had also demanded that the Miss SA pageant be interdicted from proceeding with Adetshina as a contestant.
The party demands thorough investigations into allegations that Adetshina’s mother committed fraud and identity theft in order to uphold accountability.
The mother was a Mozambican
In the court documents, the PA says Adetshina’s father was a Nigerian and her mother was a Mozambican.
This means that she should apply for Nigerian citizenship if the investigation reveals that her birth certificate and documents are fraudulent.
Reads a court document: “Following the investigations and/or issuance of certificates mentioned in paragraphs one and two above, it be declared that the fifth respondent [Adetshina] is not a South African citizen by birth in terms of Section 2 of the South African Citizenship Act 88 of 1995.
“Alternatively, it be declared that the decision of the fourth respondent to approve the fifth respondent’s birth notice in terms of Regulation 6[3] of the Badra Regulations [Births and Deaths Registration Act] is unlawful, unconstitutional, and is hereby set aside.”
These were details of Part B of the application, with Part A pleading that Miss SA be paused pending the outcome of the investigation into the validity of Adetshina’s documents and her mother’s alleged identity theft and fraud.
“Further investigations by the DG [director-general] or information provided to him are needed to determine whether to cancel the contestant’s birth and identity documents under regulation 6[9] of the regulations on Badra,” reads a court document.
Investigation broadened
In response to the Miss SA letter seeking an investigation into Adetshina’s heritage, Leon Schreiber, the Minister of Home Affairs, said that the now-former contestant could not have been involved in her mother’s shenanigans considering that she was still a child at the time.
He added that the alleged identity theft has resulted in this country’s citizens being negatively impacted.
“An innocent South African mother, whose identity may have been stolen as part of the alleged fraud committed by Adetshina’s mother, suffered as a result because she could not register her child,” said Schreiber.
“The department has broadened its investigation to identify and pursue any officials involved in the alleged fraudulent scheme and is obtaining legal advice on the implications of the alleged fraudulent activity on Adetshina’s citizenship status.”
Visit SW YouTube Channel for our video content
