Former Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, says she is “exhausted, burnt out and depressed” after a South African court postponed proceedings in her deportation case until August 19.
The 25-year-old is challenging efforts by South African authorities to deport her after she was arrested in Cape Town in June over allegations that she is living in the country illegally.
At Monday’s hearing, prosecutors maintained that Adetshina is an undocumented foreign national and urged the court to detain her pending deportation.
According to the prosecution, she obtained Nigerian passports for herself and her child in Lagos, secured a South African visa and re-entered the country through Mozambique. The state also alleged that she still possesses a South African passport, despite refusing to surrender it.
Adetshina’s legal team rejected those claims, insisting she was born in South Africa and has no meaningful ties to Nigeria.
Her lawyers argued that the Department of Home Affairs failed to conduct a fair investigation before invalidating her documents. They also maintained that she poses no flight risk and noted that her citizenship status is already being challenged in a separate High Court case.
Magistrate Reema Khorana encouraged both parties to settle the matter out of court, but negotiations failed to produce an agreement.
The case was further complicated by a recent Western Cape High Court ruling that magistrates do not have the authority to issue warrants for immigration detention, saying that power rests solely with immigration officers.
Khorana subsequently reserved judgment on whether Adetshina should remain in custody pending deportation and adjourned the matter until August 19.
Reacting after the hearing, Adetshina shared an emotional message on her Instagram Stories, admitting that the prolonged legal battle has taken a heavy toll on her.
“Exhausted – Yes. Burnt out Yes. Depressed – Yes. Will I give up? No! We no dey carry last. See you next month,” she wrote.
Adetshina has been at the centre of a citizenship controversy since competing in the Miss South Africa 2024 pageant, where questions over her nationality sparked widespread public debate.
She later withdrew from the competition, citing safety concerns for herself and her family.
The Silverbird Group subsequently invited her to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 pageant, which she won before representing Nigeria athe global competition. She finished as the first runner-up, becoming the first Nigerian contestant to achieve the feat.
Born in Soweto to a Nigerian father of Igbo descent and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina’s citizenship has remained the subject of legal and public scrutiny in South Africa. Her parents reportedly met in Johannesburg in the late 1990s before settling in Pimville.
