Former Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina has said she will continue challenging efforts to deport her after a South African court postponed a decision in her case until August 19.
The 25-year-old appeared before the Cape Town Regional Court on Monday, where Magistrate Reema Khorana reserved judgment on whether she should be detained while deportation proceedings continue.
The ruling was postponed after Adetshina and South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs failed to reach an out-of-court settlement despite the magistrate encouraging both parties to resolve the matter.
Reacting after the court session, Adetshina shared a message on Instagram.
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“Exhausted — yes. Burnt out — yes. Depressed — yes. Will I give up? No! We no dey carry last. See you next month.”
Adetshina was arrested in Cape Town in June after immigration authorities alleged that she returned to South Africa despite being declared a prohibited person.
The Department of Home Affairs argued that she is an undocumented foreign national and asked the court to order her detention while deportation proceedings continue.
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Prosecutors also alleged that Adetshina obtained Nigerian passports for herself and her child in Lagos, secured a South African visa and entered the country through Mozambique.
They further claimed that she still has a South African passport which she has not surrendered.
However, her legal team rejected the allegations, maintaining that Adetshina was born in South Africa and has no significant connection to Nigeria beyond her father’s nationality.
Her lawyers accused the Department of Home Affairs of invalidating her documents without conducting a fair investigation. They also argued that she is not a flight risk and informed the court that the citizenship dispute is already before the High Court.
The proceedings were also influenced by a recent Western Cape High Court ruling on the authority of magistrates to issue immigration detention warrants.
Adetshina has been at the centre of a nationality dispute since entering the Miss South Africa competition in 2024. She later withdrew from the pageant after questions about her citizenship led to public controversy and threats against her and her family.
She subsequently accepted an invitation from the Silverbird Group to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria, where she won the title.
Adetshina later represented Nigeria at the 2024 Miss Universe competition, finishing as first runner-up, the highest placement by a Nigerian contestant.
Born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a Mozambican mother, Adetshina will return to court on August 19 when the court is expected to decide whether she should be detained while South African authorities pursue her deportation.
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