Members of the anti-immigration movement Operation Dudula gathered outside the Cape Town Regional Court on Wednesday, demanding that former Miss South Africa contestant and Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 winner Chidimma Adetshina be deported to Nigeria. The demonstration took place as the court postponed proceedings in her immigration matter until February 27, 2027, extending a legal battle that has become one of South Africa’s most high-profile citizenship and immigration disputes.

Videos circulating on social media from outside the court showed heightened tensions, with reports that some of Adetshina’s relatives were allegedly attacked during the protests. The incidents have raised concerns about public safety and the increasingly polarized debate surrounding immigration, nationality and identity in South Africa.

A Case That Sparked National Debate

Adetshina was born in Soweto, Johannesburg, in 2001 to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican-born mother. She entered the Miss South Africa 2024 competition and initially met the pageant’s eligibility requirements as a South African citizen. However, her participation became the subject of intense public scrutiny after questions were raised about her family’s citizenship and immigration documentation.

The controversy escalated when South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs launched an investigation into her citizenship status. In August 2024, the department announced that preliminary findings suggested fraud and identity theft may have been committed by Adetshina’s mother when obtaining official documentation more than two decades earlier. Authorities emphasized that Adetshina herself could not have been involved because she was an infant at the time of the alleged offences.

Amid mounting public pressure and concerns for her family’s safety, Adetshina withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition before the final. She later accepted an invitation to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria, where she won the national title and went on to achieve international success, finishing as first runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant and earning the Miss Universe Africa and Oceania crown.

Deportation Battle Intensifies

The dispute has since moved from the pageant stage to the courtroom.

South African authorities contend that Adetshina’s citizenship status and documentation are linked to alleged irregularities in her mother’s records. The Department of Home Affairs has argued that she does not possess valid documentation entitling her to remain in South Africa and has sought legal confirmation to detain and deport her.

Adetshina, however, maintains that she is South African and that South Africa is the only home she has ever known. In court filings, she has argued that any alleged irregularities involving her mother should not automatically invalidate her own status. Her legal team is challenging decisions that declared her an undesirable or prohibited person and is seeking to overturn measures that could result in her deportation.

The legal proceedings have become increasingly complex, involving questions about citizenship, immigration detention powers and the rights of individuals whose identity documents are disputed. Recent court rulings concerning the powers of immigration authorities have also affected the case, contributing to repeated delays and postponements.

Operation Dudula and the Immigration Debate

The protest outside court reflects the broader role played by Operation Dudula, a controversial movement known for campaigning against undocumented immigration in South Africa. The organization has frequently organized demonstrations demanding stricter immigration enforcement and has been criticized by human rights groups and civil society organizations, which accuse it of promoting xenophobia and targeting foreign nationals. A 2025 High Court ruling also placed restrictions on some of the group’s activities, affirming that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of state authorities.

For supporters of Operation Dudula, the Adetshina case has become a symbol of concerns over immigration control and citizenship verification. For critics, it represents the dangers of xenophobia and the targeting of individuals based on their heritage and family background.

What Happens Next?

With the matter now postponed until February 2027, the legal uncertainty surrounding Adetshina’s future in South Africa is set to continue. The case is expected to remain closely watched, not only because of her public profile, but also because of the broader questions it raises about citizenship, identity, immigration policy and social cohesion in post-apartheid South Africa.

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