Following the original request received from the organisers of Miss SA, the Department of Home Affairs says that an investigation has found that Prima Facie reasons exist to believe that fraud and identity theft may have been committed by the person recorded in Home Affairs records as Chidimma Adetshina’s mother.

The investigation came at the request of the organisers of the upcoming Miss SA contest in which Chidimma is a contestant.

Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber elaborates, “Last week, Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie defended skeptical South Africans who have enquired about the citizenship of Adetshina.

South Africans remain divided on whether the 23-year-old should contest this year’s pageant.

McKenzie said his Department is still to investigate if Adetshina may participate in SA’s premier beauty contest.

He added that Adetshina cannot represent South Africa if she is not a citizen of the country.

He spoke to the SABC in Freedom Park, “Miss SA is not just somebody that’s here. This is somebody that’s an ambassador of your country. Miss SA is somebody that represents your country on the world stage and people have a legitimate right to ask the question and she can answer the question. This doesn’t need to be dragged out and I’m saying, I’m a leader. The people that voted for me, when they ask questions, they put me there to ask those questions to ask on their behalf and that’s what I’m doing now. And, if she’s South African, we will wish her well but if she’s not South African, we can’t have her represent us on the world stage.”

--SABC--