A former Miss South Africa contestant, whose origins sparked a heated xenophobic controversy and led her to throw in the towel, was crowned Miss Universe Nigeria on Saturday, August 31, after being welcomed into the competition.
Chidimma Adetshina, born in Soweto, near Johannesburg, to a South African mother of Mozambican origin and a Nigerian father, was forced to abandon her race for the title of Miss South Africa at the beginning of August after being subjected to a particularly violent xenophobic campaign, notably on social networks.
Her detractors had questioned the 23-year-old law student’s South African nationality because of her paternal origins and therefore her legitimacy to compete in the national beauty pageant.
South African and Nigerian passports
The outcry over her participation prompted an investigation into her citizenship, which the Home Affairs Ministry said her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.
After her official withdrawal from the South African competition, the organizer of another competition, Miss Universe Nigeria, offered a place to the young woman, who holds both South African and Nigerian passports.
Read also | Miss South Africa: Contestant throws in the towel after nationality controversy
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“This journey has been tough for me, I am proud of myself and am truly grateful for this love and support”Chidimma Adetshina told AFP, a few minutes after her coronation in the Nigerian economic capital, Lagos. “It’s something I’ve always wanted and I’m really glad I got a second chance to achieve it.”she added.
Mme Adetshina will represent Africa’s most populous country at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico in November. “I know we will win”she assured the press. Initially not very popular in Nigeria because of the traditionalism of a large part of society, beauty contests gained popularity after the coronation in 2001 of the Nigerian Agbani Darego at the Miss World contest.
