Miss South Africa candidate Chidema Adeshina withdrew after the government accused her mother of fraud and identity theft, following the huge controversy surrounding her right to compete because originally from Nigeria.
Adeshina, 23, has been the subject of vicious and hostile attacks on social media since she was named a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant in July, with many questioning her qualifications to take part.
Adechina did not stop the wave of questions, despite her confirmation that she was born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a South African mother of “Mozambican origin”.
Her decision to withdraw from the competition comes one day after the Home Office said her mother may have stolen the identity of a South African woman.
Interior Minister Leon Schreiber said Monday that his department was investigating citizenship at the request of the beauty pageant group. South Africa Courtesy of Adeshina and her mother.
Then on Wednesday, the ministry announced that there were preliminary reasons to believe that Adeshina’s mother may have committed fraud and identity theft.
“The identity of an innocent South African mother may have been stolen as part of alleged fraud by Adeshina’s mother, who was unable to register her child,” the statement said, adding that Adeshina was not herself involved because she was a child at the hotel. period, in 2001.
For her part, Adeshina did not respond directly to these allegations, but she said in a post on Instagram: “After careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the competition because my safety and the safety of my family. .”
She continued: “With the full support of Miss Organisation South Africa“I will leave with a heart full of gratitude for this wonderful experience.”
The case has captured the nation’s attention for weeks, with politicians, celebrities and talk shows embracing it, while the law student was subjected to xenophobic abuse.
South Africa has witnessed many cases of violence against African migrants since the end of apartheid, as high unemployment and crime rates have fueled hatred of foreigners.
