By Mapaballo Borotho

- Chidimma Adetshina is back in court challenging Home Affairs’ decision to deport her from South Africa.
- The former Miss Universe Nigeria’s legal battle centres around her citizenship status and whether she has a legal pathway to remain in the country.
- Her case comes after years of scrutiny over allegations surrounding her identity documents.
Former Miss SA contestant Chidimma Adetshina’s legal battle against being deported to Nigeria is underway at the Cape Town Regional Court on Monday, 20 July 2026.
She is challenging the decision by the Department of Home Affairs to deport her.
Adetshina has been in the spotlight since her identity and citizenship controversy went viral after she was selected as one of the contestants set to compete for the Miss South Africa crown in 2024.
She later withdrew from the competition following concerns surrounding her identity and citizenship status in South Africa.
Her exit from the competition resulted in the Miss Universe Nigeria organisation inviting her to participate in their pageant, which she won before representing Nigeria at Miss Universe in Mexico, where she finished as the first runner-up.
Now, the 25-year-old is back in South Africa and fighting for her right to remain in the country.
Adetshina’s arrest
In June 2026, immigration authorities arrested Adetshina after discovering that she and her minor son were allegedly living in South Africa without legal immigration status.
Her family’s documentation has been under investigation since identity fraud allegations emerged in 2024.
Adetshina was born in South Africa to two foreign nationals: a Nigerian father, Michael Adetshina, and a Mozambican mother, Anabela Rungo, who is facing separate criminal charges related to alleged identity fraud involving the registration of her daughter’s birth.
In December 2024, Adetshina was declared a prohibited person by the Department of Home Affairs, and her South African identity documents and passports were declared invalid.
Could Chidimma legally remain in South Africa?
Adetshina’s attempt to remain in South Africa could rely on Section 2(2) of the South African Citizenship Act.
The Act states that a person born in South Africa who is not a citizen by birth may become a citizen if they:
- lived in South Africa from birth until reaching the age of majority (18);
- had their birth registered in South Africa; and
- applied for citizenship after turning 18.
However, her legal challenge could be complicated by Home Affairs’ findings that the documents used to obtain her birth registration and citizenship were allegedly affected by fraud.
The court proceedings continue. Follow updates as the story unfolds @Kaya News on X.
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