Chidimma Adetshina Faces Renewed Calls to Leave South Africa as Court Delays Ruling to 2027

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Former Miss South Africa finalist and Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 winner Chidimma Adetshina faced renewed protests outside the Cape Town Regional Court on Wednesday, August 19, as supporters of the March and March movement called for her to leave South Africa.

The demonstrations came as Adetshina returned to court in her ongoing legal battle with South African authorities over her immigration status. However, the court did not deliver a final ruling on her deportation. Instead, the matter was postponed to February 2027 because a related review application concerning her status remains before the Western Cape High Court.

Protesters chant “Chidimma, go home”

Videos and reports from outside the court showed protesters singing and chanting as the proceedings got underway.

Some carried banners demanding that Adetshina leave South Africa, including messages stating, “She claimed Nigeria and was crowned Ms Nigeria” and “Illegal immigrants are a burden in our country.”

The demonstrations reflected the continuing anger among some South Africans over Adetshina's nationality and immigration status, an issue that first became highly contentious during the 2024 Miss South Africa competition.

Reports from the scene also said Adetshina was surrounded by reporters and protesters when she arrived at the court and moved quickly into the building to avoid the crowd.

Why is Chidimma Adetshina fighting deportation?

Adetshina was born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother. Her citizenship became the subject of controversy in 2024 after she entered the Miss South Africa competition.

She eventually withdrew from the pageant amid questions surrounding her nationality and a Home Affairs investigation into alleged fraud and identity-related irregularities involving her birth registration.

She later entered the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 competition, won the title and represented Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant.

The dispute has since moved from beauty-pageant controversy into a legal battle over her right to remain in South Africa.

South African authorities arrested Adetshina in June after alleging that she had entered the country through the Lebombo border from Mozambique despite having been declared a prohibited person.

The Department of Home Affairs subsequently sought to have her detained while it pursued possible deportation.

Her legal team opposed the application, arguing that she should not be detained pending the outcome of her broader legal challenge. Her lawyers have also disputed the government's position concerning her immigration status.

The court has now pushed the matter into 2027

The Cape Town Regional Court had originally reserved judgment on whether Adetshina should be detained pending possible deportation.

On August 19, however, the court said it could not determine the matter while a separate application concerning her status remains before the Western Cape High Court.

The regional-court matter has therefore been postponed to February 2027.

This means Wednesday's proceedings did not result in a final judicial determination that Adetshina must leave South Africa.

Adetshina: “We should not allow xenophobia and misinformation”

Following the postponement, Adetshina told journalists that she believed she had been treated unfairly and targeted.

She said she remained confident in South Africa's judicial system and would continue pursuing the matter through the appropriate legal channels.

Adetshina also urged the public not to allow xenophobia and misinformation to influence the process, saying that the country should be guided by the rule of law and the spirit of Ubuntu.

What began as a dispute over whether Adetshina should compete in Miss South Africa has evolved into a much more consequential question: what legal status does a woman born in South Africa, with Nigerian heritage and Nigerian citizenship, have the right to claim in the country?

The public debate has often been framed around whether Adetshina is “South African” or “Nigerian.” But the court proceedings are dealing with something more precise: her citizenship, immigration status, documentation and whether South African authorities can detain or deport her while those questions are being litigated.

For now, neither the protesters' demands nor the online debate determines the outcome.

The courts do.

And with the regional-court proceedings now pushed into February 2027, the Chidimma Adetshina saga is far from over.