Former Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidinma Adetshina, on Thursday returned to the Cape Town Regional Court as proceedings continued in her legal challenge against deportation from South Africa.
The case resumed shortly after 2 p.m., with Adetshina expected to file an affidavit outlining steps she had taken to regularise her immigration status.
The affidavit forms part of her legal response to the South African Department of Home Affairs’ application seeking her deportation.
Adetshina was arrested on June 6 and first appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court on June 9.
She was subsequently released on warning, while the matter was adjourned to allow the legal process to continue.
The Department of Home Affairs alleges that Adetshina and her minor son are residing in South Africa without lawful immigration status and has asked the court to approve their deportation.
Court documents filed by immigration authorities also allege that Adetshina entered South Africa while prohibited from doing so.
The allegations remain before the court and have yet to be determined through judicial proceedings.
The court is expected to consider the affidavit alongside submissions by the Department of Home Affairs before deciding on the next stage of the case.
The immigration dispute is the latest development in a controversy that first gained public attention during Adetshina’s participation in the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant.
Born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition following public controversy over her family’s citizenship status.
The withdrawal came after South African authorities launched an investigation into allegations relating to her mother’s identity and citizenship documentation.
The controversy also triggered widespread debate and criticism on social media, with many comments focusing on Adetshina’s Nigerian heritage despite her South African birth.
In August 2024, South African authorities announced that Adetshina’s mother was being investigated over alleged identity theft.
Following her withdrawal from the Miss South Africa contest, Adetshina accepted an invitation to compete in the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, where she emerged winner.
She subsequently represented Nigeria at the 73rd Miss Universe competition in Mexico City, finishing as first runner-up and winning the Miss Universe Africa and Oceania title.
