Court defers decision on detention. The legal battle over former Miss South Africa contestant and Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina’s immigration status has been pushed into 2027 after the Cape Town Regional Court postponed judgment on whether she should be detained pending deportation.
The court ruled that it could not determine the detention matter while Adetshina’s separate review application in the High Court, challenging the Department of Home Affairs’ decision affecting her South African status, remains pending.
The matter has been postponed to 27 February 2027, meaning Adetshina will remain out of detention while her High Court challenge continues.
‘I have been treated unfairly and targeted’
Speaking to journalists outside court after Wednesday’s proceedings, Adetshina said she was grateful that she continued to have access to the courts.
“I’m grateful that I once again have been able to get an opportunity to have my faith in our courts,” she said.
Adetshina reiterated that she was born in South Africa and said she had followed the appropriate legal processes to resolve her immigration and citizenship status.
“I remind everyone that I was born in South Africa. I have applied through the proper legal channels to have my status and citizenship determined,” she said.
She also accused authorities and others of unfairly targeting her.
“I believe that I have been treated unfairly and targeted, and there has been an attempt to make me an example,” Adetshina said.
Despite the ongoing controversy, she said she would not respond with anger.
“But my message is not going to be one out of anger,” she said.
‘We should not allow xenophobia and misinformation’
Adetshina also appealed for the matter to be handled within the framework of South Africa’s constitutional and legal principles.
“South Africa is governed by the rule of law, and we should not allow xenophobia and misinformation to determine how people are going to be treated,” she said.
She invoked the principle of Ubuntu, saying: “We should always be guided by the spirit of Ubuntu.”
Adetshina said she would continue using the legal avenues available to her.
“Throughout this ordeal, I have availed myself of all appropriate legal recourse, and I’ll continue to respect and abide by each process,” she said.
Why Home Affairs wants her deported
Home Affairs has been pursuing Adetshina’s detention pending deportation, arguing that she does not have lawful status to remain in South Africa.
She was arrested in June after allegedly entering South Africa through the Lebombo border post with Mozambique despite having been declared a prohibited person. Her identity and travel documents had previously been cancelled following an investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding her birth registration.
The department’s investigation centred on alleged fraud involving documentation connected to Adetshina’s mother.
Home Affairs has previously stressed that Adetshina herself was not implicated in the alleged birth-registration fraud and was a child when the alleged wrongdoing occurred. However, the department has maintained that subsequent immigration-related issues mean she does not currently have a lawful basis to remain in the country.
Adetshina challenges Home Affairs decision
Adetshina is challenging the Home Affairs decision in the Western Cape High Court.
Her legal team argues that she should be allowed to resolve her immigration status through the appropriate legal processes rather than being detained and deported.
Her lawyers have also previously argued that alternatives to detention should be considered.
The High Court review is now central to the Regional Court proceedings because its outcome could affect the legal basis for any subsequent detention or deportation action.
From Miss SA controversy to Miss Universe Nigeria
The dispute dates back to 2024, when Adetshina became a finalist in the Miss South Africa competition.
Questions about her eligibility and nationality emerged because she was born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and Mozambican mother. The controversy intensified when questions were raised about her mother’s identity documents.
Adetshina eventually withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition, citing the pressure and concerns surrounding the controversy.
She subsequently competed in Miss Universe Nigeria, won the national title and represented Nigeria at Miss Universe, where she finished as first runner-up.
Her international pageant success did not, however, resolve the outstanding questions about her South African documentation and immigration status.
Protesters gather outside court
The latest hearing also drew protesters outside the court, with members of Operation Dudula and March and March calling for Adetshina to be deported to Nigeria, where her father is from.
The contrasting positions outside court reflect the broader debate surrounding the case, which has touched on immigration, citizenship, identity, xenophobia and the administration of South Africa’s immigration laws.
For now, however, the courts remain the arena in which the dispute will be determined.
Adetshina’s next major court date is set for February 2027, while her High Court review of the Home Affairs decision remains pending.
