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| Image: NC |
South Africa’s Minister of Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has intensified a controversy surrounding Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina, calling on her to confirm her nationality. This request has fueled an ongoing debate over her eligibility to represent the country.
Adetshina, 23, who was selected as a finalist in the national beauty pageant in July, has been subjected to severe xenophobic backlash on social media, with many questioning her qualifications to compete.
Minister McKenzie, known for his stringent anti-immigration stance, remarked, “Why can’t she just produce documents and say she’s South African? There are beautiful South African young ladies that might be robbed of this opportunity.”
The pageant organizers have defended Adetshina, stating that she is a South African citizen and holds both a South African identification card and passport, meeting all eligibility requirements. Adetshina, a law student, has previously explained to local media that she was born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a South African mother of Mozambican descent.
Despite the fact that South Africa grants citizenship by birth to individuals born after 1995, Adetshina's participation in the pageant has incited xenophobic rhetoric in a country where anti-immigrant sentiments have led to violent and fatal attacks in the past.
The controversy has sparked widespread discussion on social media and talk shows, attracting comments from politicians, celebrities, and the public. The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party has expressed solidarity with Adetshina, condemning the attacks against her as remnants of apartheid and colonization that continue to divide society.
"It is particularly troubling that previous contestants of foreign descent did not face similar scrutiny when they were white or Asian," the EFF stated.
The hostility towards immigrants has escalated in South Africa amidst high unemployment rates. Despite sluggish economic growth, the country remains a magnet for millions of immigrants, predominantly from other African nations.
Minister McKenzie, who was appointed in June as his far-right Patriotic Alliance party joined a coalition government, said, "If she’s South African, I’ll be the first person to apologize."
The ongoing debate highlights the persistent xenophobic challenges in South Africa and raises questions about national identity and inclusivity in the country.
Watch McKenzie speak below:
Gayton McKenzie speaks about the Nigerians contestant trying her luck in South Africa.#Chidimma Xenophobic Pearl Thusi Lerato Kganyago #ANCNEC SAPS Soweto Panyaza Lesufi Helen Zille Caster Semenya Lekau Sandton City Home Affairs Fikile Mbalula #MissSA2024 Miss SA pic.twitter.com/PTNLf4XG56
— Brandon (@Umalumewabantu) August 1, 2024
Source: NC | X
#ChidinmaAdetshina
#GaytonMcKenzie
#MissSouthAfrica
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