Madonsela, Mkhwebane defend Adetshina's right to compete in Miss SA

Former public protectors Thuli Madonsela and Busisiwe Mkhwebane have stepped into the debate surrounding the nationality of Miss SA contestant Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina, outlining various ways a person can obtain South African citizenship.

The controversy arose from South Africans arguing that Adetshina was ineligible to compete for the Miss South Africa title because of her bloodline, despite being born in South Africa. Adetshina was born at Soweto's Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital. Her father is Nigerian, and her mother is of Mozambican descent.

Many people disapproved of her participation, saying she was not “South African enough”.

In response, Madonsela defended Adetshina, saying she is eligible to contest for the title.

“Dear fellow South Africans, please note that based on applying [section] (2) (1) of the Citizenship Act of 1995 to information in the public domain, Adetshina is a South African by birth, lawfully participating in the Ms [Miss] SA competition. Should she win, she is entitled to represent us as Miss SA 2024. Your parents need not have been South African for you to be a citizen by birth. Please, let’s stop the noise and support Adetshina and all Miss SA contestants,” Madonsela tweeted.

The EFF's Mkhwebane also stepped in and stressed that citizenship was not solely obtained through the parents' origin, but also through other means, including birth, even if your parents are not South African.

“Citizenship by birth occurs when a person is born to South African parents, automatically granting them citizenship. By descent refers to acquiring citizenship if at least one parent is a South African citizen. For individuals seeking refugee status, citizenship can be obtained through refugee certification after five years of being a refugee and five years of being a permanent resident.

“A person can apply for naturalisation to become a citizen. Permanent residency status is acquired after a person has held a work visa or any other visa for five years, and it also offers a route to citizenship, allowing individuals to reside in the country permanently and eventually apply for citizenship. Therefore, the South African Citizenship Act provides various ways to acquire South African citizenship,” Mkhwebane said.

The EFF also backed Adetshina, saying her eligibility to compete should not be questioned.

“First, Adetshina's eligibility should never have been questioned, as the competition performed due diligence to verify the status of all contestants. Second, the intense scrutiny and vitriol aimed at Adetshina reveal a continued colonised mindset among many South Africans.

“We call on all South Africans to introspect and ask themselves: why such harshness towards a 23-year-old black South African woman? What does that say about your mind? Is this a reflection of my deep-seated prejudices?” the statement read.

The EFF argued that people of other races who hold public office in SA do not receive the same level of scrutiny. They urged South Africans to embrace the spirit of unity and support all Miss SA contestants.

“Let us build a future where all South Africans, regardless of their background, are respected and valued for who they are. Equally, we send our well wishes to all Miss South African finalists. All candidates must be awarded equal respect and fair treatment, free from victimisation and bullying.”