Nationality issue of Miss SA contestant Vanessa Chidimma Onwe Adetshina

31 July 2024

The Patriotic Alliance has noted concerns around the participation of Vannesa Chidimma Onwe Adetshina as a Miss South Africa finalist.

The immediate concern remains to determine whether Adetshina indeed is a South African citizen.

Conflicting reports are circulating, including on whether her mother has in fact ever been South African. The contestant herself has also not clarified this issue, which does not give the people of South Africa comfort.

The Miss South Africa organisers have been quick to support Adetshina's candidacy and declare it legitimate. However, it is clear from video material in circulation of her with her family that Adetshina's family is fully Nigerian and that they are celebrating her success as Nigerians, not South Africans.

Miss South Africa is meant to be a patriotic ambassador for South Africa wherever she goes in the world. She must represent the best of what it means to be a young South African woman in this country today, and she must promote South Africa's interests wherever she will go, and particularly when she contests for global pageants such as Miss World or Miss Universe.

The arrogance of Nigerian foreigners in South Africa, and their sense of entitlement in this country, has now reached a level where a possible Nigerian is standing to be crowned as Miss SA. South Africans may be excluded from something that literally has South Africa in its name.

As the Patriotic Alliance we are therefore pursuing legal avenues to get to the bottom of this matter, including interdicting Adetshina's participation, if necessary.

Issued by Kenny Kunene, Deputy President, PA, 2 August 2024