Chidimma Adetshina arrested, awaiting deportation
· The South African
Beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina is facing deportation after she was arrested earlier this month over her illegal immigration status.
The former Miss South Africa finalist – who later won Miss Universe Nigeria and the Miss Universe runner-up title – has had her travel documents and identification documents confiscated following an investigation by the Department of Home Affairs.
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This follows her mother, Anabela Rungo’s arrest last year on charges of contravening the Immigration Act and the Identification Act.
CHIDIMMA ADETSHINA FACING DEPORTATION OVER IMMIGRATION ARREST
According to Sunday World, Chidimma Adetshina was arrested earlier this month after she and her minor son were found to be illegally living at her family home in Cape Town.
Although she was released on a warning, she is due back in the Cape Town Regional Court on 16 July as the Department of Home Affairs pursues her deportation.
Immigration officer Adrian Jackson told the publication: “After the above ‘status determination’ interview and the DHA residency IT systems checks, it was confirmed that the applicant does not hold any lawful RSA residential status and is thus an illegal foreigner.
“It is my submission that the illegal foreigner willfully and intentionally remained resident unlawfully in RSA in contravention of the Immigration Act 13 of 2022.”
According to Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber, Chidimma was notified in 2024 that both her and her son’s South African identity documents had been cancelled. He claimed that Chidimma failed to respond to the department’s notice.
HOW AND WHY IS SHE CONSIDERED AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT?
In 2024, the Department of Home Affairs launched an investigation into the immigration status of Chidimma Adetshina and her mother, Anabela Rungo.
The beauty queen was born in South Africa to a Nigerian father, who has permanent residency, and a Mozambican mother, the latter of whom was accused of registering her birth in South Africa by using fraudulent documents.
Rungo, who is not a South African citizen, was arrested and charged with contravening the Immigration Act and the Identification Act and identity fraud.
By default, due to her relationship with her mother, both women and Chidimma’s son, born to a Nigerian foreign national, were stripped of their South African IDs and passports.
Chidimma withdrew from the Miss SA organisation but later competed in the 2024 Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, which she won. She also competed in Miss Universe, where she placed as first runner-up.
Minister Leon Schreiber stated that Chidimma had been issued a Nigerian passport while in Nigeria to participate in a beauty pageant, before applying for a South African visitor’s visa.
In a written response to parliament, he stated that her visitor visa had been rejected as she had submitted a fraudulent bank statement.
As a result, Chidimma was declared a prohibited person. Despite this, Chidimma entered South Africa illegally at the Lebombo border post from Mozambique, presenting herself as a South African citizen.
She applied for a letter of good cause, which was also rejected.
Chidimma’s son’s immigration application was also rejected as his legal status was “inextricably linked to hers,” the minister added.
He said: “Given the rejection of the primary applicant’s request due to her prohibited status and the submission of fraudulent documentation, the minor child possesses no independent basis to remain in the Republic.”