Miss SA hate deemed ‘xenophobic’ by Saftu

Against a background of Miss South Africa pageant finalist Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina – born at Soweto’s Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital to a Nigerian father and a mother of Mozambican descent – having given him “funny vibes”, Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie continues to endure condemnation for his remarks.

Labour federation SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and the EFF described McKenzie’s outburst as “xenophobic bullying”.

McKenzie this week stirred a political storm when he questioned Adetshina’s bloodline and eligibility to enter the beauty contest.

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“We truly cannot have Nigerians competing in our Miss SA competition,” he said on X.

McKenzie’s spokesperson Cassiday Rangata-Jacobs yesterday said the minister’s investigation on Adetshina has begun.

On whether McKenzie was likely to change his stance on Adetshina, Rangata-Jacobs said: “As a minister, he listens to all sectors of society. He has explained that if he could ignore people who voted for him and their queries about the matter, what kind of person would that make him?”

‘Xenophobic bullying’

Appalled what it described as “xenophobic bullying”, Saftu condemned “aspersions cast on the citizenship of Chidimma”.

Saftu deputy general secretary Nontembeko Luzipo said McKenzie’s “funny vibes” remark was irresponsible and appalling “because it strengthened the bullies, instead of giving courage to Chidimma”.

“The minister has regrettably contributed to the bullying of Chidimma – strengthening the internet trolls, who have spewed vitriol against the finalist of Miss South Africa – when questioning the legitimacy of her citizenship and eligibility to compete in pageant.

“Her contestation in the pageant, is an affirmation that she is South African, because a non-negotiable eligibility criterion is citizenship.

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“Miss SA as an organisation, would not have admitted her in the first place if she was not.

“Those trollers questioning her citizenship argue that she was born in Mozambique, with Nigerian parents. Even if this claim of foreign parentage was true, unfortunately, it is a wrong premise to begin from.

“SA citizenship of children born to foreign parents in South Africa, is approved, due to the citizenship by birth, upon turning 18 years old,” said Luzipo.

EFF comes to defence

The EFF said it noted “with deep concern and unequivocally rejects the escalating Afrophobic attacks directed at Adetshina.

“These hateful comments stem solely from her Nigerian heritage – despite her meeting all the requirements of the competition and being South African-born.

“Adetshina’s eligibility to compete for the Miss South Africa title should never have been questioned as the competition performed due diligence to verify the status of all contestants.

“The intense scrutiny and vitriol aimed at Adetshina, reveal a continued colonised mindset among many South Africans,” said the EFF.

The Adetshina row reflected “remnants of apartheid and colonisation divisive ideologies, continue to plague our society”.

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“It is troubling that previous contestants of foreign descent did not face similar scrutiny when they were white or Asian – such as Vanessa Carreira, whose parents are Portuguese and Angolan – highlighting a blatant case of Afrophobia,” said the EFF.

The party called on South Africans “to introspect and ask themselves: why such harshness towards a 23-year-old black South African woman? “Is this a reflection of a deep-seated prejudices?

“Furthermore, this anti-African sentiment is not limited to Miss South Africa contestants.

“EFF MP Naledi Chirwa – born in South Africa – faces similar hatred despite her citizenship, while DA MP Natasha Mazzone, who is a first-generation South African of Italian descent, does not warrant such outrage.

“This disparity highlights the pervasive Afrophobia within our society.

“People of European, Indian, and Asian descent – who even hold public office in South Africa – do not receive the same level of abuse and scrutiny.

“Yet Africans born in South Africa are pariahs in their land of birth,” added the EFF. The Miss SA contest is scheduled to start on 10 August.

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