The Republic of South Africa is no longer the featured country at the Puebla International Festival, which is being held in Mexico.
The festival is a dynamic cultural gathering that offers a wide range of events in several fields, including dance, theatre, music, film, and literature.
The decision was made following the alleged victimisation of Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina, a former Miss South Africa contender.
Distressing events
The festival has withdrawn its invitations to South African panellists and guests.
The festival organisers said in a statement: “It is with a sense of sadness that we acknowledge the distressing events in South Africa, where the apparatuses of the state, coupled with the troubling silence of many within the cultural sphere, have enabled a climate of mob rule.
“This has led to the victimisation of Chidimma, her family, and members of the immigrant communities in South Africa, thus undermining the very principle of justice, equality, and human dignity that literature seeks to uphold.”
The festival organisers also declares their intention to become a symbol of the celebration of various voices, cultures, and viewpoints.
Profound injustices
“We believe that literature has the power to challenge the status quo, to speak to authority, and give a voice to the voiceless,” said the statement.
“However, we cannot in good conscience, honour a country as a focal point of our celebration when it is currently embroiled in such profound injustices as has been currently gathering momentum following the Miss South Africa beauty pageantry.”
The South African Human Rights Commission issued a warning to the public a few days ago regarding xenophobic attacks and cyberbullying directed towards Chidimma.
Chidimma withdrew from the pageant on Thursday, two days before the finale.
Identity fraud
Her decision, which she announced on social media, came after the Department of Home Affairs revealed on Wednesday that her mother committed identity fraud to gain SA citizenship
This came after the organisers of Miss SA sent the department a request to verify the citizenship of a Adetshina.
The request was sent on August 5 amid the outcry over Chidimma’s eligibility to be on the national pageant.
Also Read: PA turns up the heat, challenges Chidimma’s citizenship in court
Chidimma Adetshina withdraws from Miss SA pageant
All these countries CAN’T dictate to South Africa to not put their country and people first and have it overrun by Foreigners both legal and illegal while they are chasing them out of their countries and putting bans on South Africa and a few other African countries. Why are they so hell-bent on ruining South Africa by hiding behind some hidden agenda? Did they really think South Africans would take them forcing this illegal immigrant down their throats, lying down.
The quality of journalism seems to be denigrating in SA. Did you guys seriously write an article about our exclusion from an organisation founded a few months/days ago by a Nigerian? An organisation no has ever heard of?! Come on guys! Where’s the editor-in-chief? Are you trying to be IOL?
South Africans has a history of hatred towards fellow black Africans. Chidinma mother is from southern African a Mozambican just few miles away from the country called South Africa. I am quite sure during the apartheid regime a good number of South Africans live and worked in Mozambique unharrassed. Nigeria has lots of kids from neighbouring countries born here. No one cares how their parents came , we called them nigerians
This here is South Africa, not Nigeria. The difference is that you have kids from neighbouring countries, we have those from all over the continent. Now can you spot the difference? Here you are out of context and unfortunately her contestation in the beauty contest has opened a can of worms for her mother who ‘allegedly’ stole or bought someone’s identity. You see the lengths your like are willing stretch just to get here. It’s nonsensical to compare political asylum seekers too a mass migration. It’s preposterous.
YOU MAKE NO SENSE SAYING SA CITIZENS HAVE KIDS ALL OVER CONTINENT. ITS OBVIOUS U ARE NOT INFORMED. DUMB ASSHOLE
Do you allow those children to participate in Miss Nigeria ? You denied your own because she was born in Europe and she was light skinned. Why is it a problem when South Africans wants to make things right? We don’t care what you do in your country. We have illegal Nigerians who milk our county they get free medications , free schooling. Anyways you don’t see anything wrong in identity theft it’s in your culture.
Same way your people got free Education, Free medical care and the rest from Nigerians during the apertheid. Salaries of workers were deducted and sent to your people and Nigerians never complained. Chidinma’s mother is from Mozambique. She only became a Nigerian by marriage. I really don’t understand why the claim of identity theft by her mom is directed to Nigeria. And besides majority of Nigerians are not interested in visiting your country.
How is she a Nigerian as she was born and raised here…furthermore the amount of energy directed towards africans by africans is disturbing.
You see that’s the problem right there. The entitlement ‘colour of my skin’ and born in South Africa by foreign parents, automatically you become South African. And only in South Africa you will find South Africans trying to prove to other African nationals who is South African enough. When South Africans stand up for what is rightfully theirs, emotional blackmail (the amount of energy from black to black is this that and the other).
We understand angithi Mexico acts like Nigerians in the US. So many illegal Mexicans in the US like many illegal Nigerians in South African. SA doesn’t need Mexico nor does it need Nigeria. We have bigger problems than to be featured in a mere musical event
South Africa for South Africans.
Good Day All. My question is will Mia Le Roux still be allowed to participate in the miss Universe Pageant?