Home Affairs minister speaks on Miss SA’s Chidimma Adetshina nationality debate [VIDEO]

Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said his department will not be “dragged into rumours” about the nationality of Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina.

There’s been massive controversy over Adetshina’s participation in the popular pageant in light of her having a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, despite having been born and raised in South Africa.

The 31-year-old Adetshina was born at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto and raised in Pimville. She later moved to Cape Town where she stayed with her parents.

Watch: Leon Schreiber speaks about Chidimma Adetshina

‘No complaint’

Schreiber said “there has not been a single complaint with actual evidence” against Adetshina.

“One of the challenges we’ve had at Home Affairs in recent years is all these court cases that have ruled against the department. I have been very clear that we have to get back to the rule of law…The one thing we will not do is when there is an uproar about a particular individual, but there is no actual matter before Home Affairs, we cannot go and violate the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA).

“There has not been a single actual complaint with actual evidence, not one…We’re not gonna be dragged into rumours,” Schreiber said.

ALSO READ: McKenzie to ‘return with an answer’ on Miss SA finalist Chidimma Adetshina amid uproar

Gayton will apologise

Meanwhile, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie in a Facebook Live to Patriotic Alliance (PA) members said he would apologise if it were proven that Adetshina has South African citizenship.

“I don’t know if this lady is South African or not. But as a leader, I must investigate. We are busy investigating and the media is on top of me. So, if the media’s job is to bring out she was born in South Africa, show us the paperwork that she’s South African.

McKenzie said if Adetshina were to win the Miss SA competition and it is proven that she is not South African, there would be uproar.

“It’s going to be embarrassing for the country, and if she’s South African, we must apologise. We, the people – I’m one of them, if she thinks that we cast aspersions by asking, I will apologise. But I’m not going to be intimidated and say nothing because I’m a minister now.”

‘Open for scrutiny’

McKenzie in a post on X on Tuesday said: “Whenever you avail yourself to represent South Africans, you are willingly opening yourself up for scrutiny.”

“South Africans shouldn’t be shamed and accused simply because they are asking needed questions of the lady that wants to represent them as Miss South Africa,” McKenzie said.

Miss SA has addressed the concerns, saying that Adetshina is eligible to enter the competition.

According to the requirements on the Miss SA website, the applicant must be a South African citizen and in possession of a valid South African ID document or passport.

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