How a beautiful woman divided South Africa | Chidimma Adetshina
How a beautiful woman divided South Africa | Chidimma Adetshina
The mixed heritage model tells us a lot about the politics of African identity in South Africa...
The Pageant
At the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant 10 models competed for the final prize. Eventually a partially deaf woman, Mia Le Roux, won. But the headlines were dominated by a woman who wasn’t even there. Chidimma Adetshina dropped out of the competition following a media storm which divided the South African government and became a talking point around the world. A case full of twists and turns, stretching from Nigeria to Mozambique, this is the story of how a beautiful woman divided South Africa.
Just like the other girls?
University student Chidimma Adetshina entered the Miss South Africa competition as a candidate from Gauteng province. At 23 years old she was one of the youngest contestants, but here confident personality was a standout trait. Her motto was “dreams are valid when actions are taken.” An idea which perhaps was passed down from her own parents. With a Nigerian father and Mozambiquan mother, Adetshina’s parents had come to South Africa seeking a better life in the 1990s. Despite her mixed heritage, she spoke with a South African accent, and described her childhood memories of growing up in Soweto.
Adetshina was not the only ‘diverse’ candidate. Apart a selection of white South Africans, there was also Sherry Wang of Asian descent. But by the time the competition had been narrowed to the last 16, Adetshina had became the focus of attention. People had decided she was the odd one out. Her surname was Nigerian.
The Miss South Africa organizers clarified that every candidate had shown documents proving they were a South African citizen. But this didn’t stop the talk. Soon politicians were weighing in on Adetshina.
Political Spotlight
Gayton Mackenzie, the Minister for Sports, Arts and Culture, tweeted there was something ‘fishy’ about the situation. ‘No Nigerian, No American, No Zimbabwean, No Italian, should become Miss South Africa’, he told a radio host. He called for a government investigation into Adetshina’s identity.
Meanwhile, Julius Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters were quick to jump to the model’s defence. “This situation reflects remnants of apartheid and colonization, where divisive ideologies continue to plague our society,” the EFF said. They argued past contestants, for example a Portuguese-Angolan model (Vanessa Carreira), had not be subjected to this kind of criticism.
‘Who gave us the privilege to hate on each other?’ - Julius Malema
The actress Pearl Thusi went further: ‘This girl has to suffer because she is black, and she’s female’.
So, were the EFF right? Were black South African’s so brainwashed that they would accept a white ‘colonizer’ over a black sister? Adetshina’s candidacy had touched a national nerve. When she posted a video showing a celebration with family members in traditional Nigerian attire, anger at Chidimma exploded on the internet. This wasn’t just a debate about illegal immigration or South African identity. The controversy was Adetishina’s Nigerian heritage.
Nigerians, South Africans and Crime
Nigeria and South Africa are often described at two economic giants on the continent. In the African Union they head rival groups in competing for appointments. But the shared history of the two countries is a bit more complex.
In the 1970s, Nigerian student groups campaigned for an end to apartheid in South Africa. Groups like the Pyrates Confraternity, and the Neo-Black Movement, raised funds to send to liberation fighters. But in the 1980s, as Nigeria experienced an economic downturn, corruption spread into universities and civil society organisations, like the Neo-Black Movement, gradually transitioned into criminal cults, with political funding.
In the 1990s South Africa’s rainbow nation beckoned Nigerian migrants looking for work. Many were employed as nightclub security guards which gave them access to wealthy South Africans looking for a good time. Slowly a network of Nigerian gangs expanded into the South African drug trade. Native South Africans, South Americans and Europeans all had a finger in South African drug smuggling. But on the street, Nigerians were associated with distribution. If you wanted to buy drugs, find a Nigerian.
Many of the Nigerian gangs were based on the civil society groups who had campaigned against apartheid in the 1970s. The criminal wing of the Neo-Black Movement, known as Black Axe, operates drug smuggling and people trafficking rings in South Africa today.
‘There is ‘…the belief and the reality that… many persons from Nigeria… are dealing in drugs in our country’ - Nalendi Pandor
The negative association of Nigerian immigrants with crime, has made them a target of xenophobic attacks in modern South Africa. Not every Nigerian is a criminal. But the stereotype is powerful. During a wave of anti-immigrant violence in 2019, South Africa’s Foreign Minister referred to ‘…the belief and the reality that our people have that there are many persons from Nigeria, who are dealing in drugs in our country, who are harming our young people.’
So more than Sherry Wang, more than Mia Le Roux, more than Vanessa Carriera, Chidimma Adetshina was a controversial candidate. Would she help improve the image of Nigerian migrants in South Africa, or would she be pulled down by it?
Still Xenophobia
In the end, Adetshina’s downfall came from an unexpected place. He mother. An investigation by South African Home Affairs revealed evidence of identity theft on the part of her Mozambiquan mother. She had used a South African woman’s identity to get her daughter South African citizenship.
For Gayton Mckenzie, it was a moment of vindication. But Chidimma’s supporters didn’t change their position either. Her treatment was still evidence of xenophobia.
Because of the investigation, she withdrew from Miss South Africa. It was a heroic victory or shameful indictment, depending on your perspective.
Chidimma Adetshina’s rejection is not the end of her career. She has been careful to stay positive despite the controversy, and her (mis)treatment has won her a lot of support. Nigeria’s Miss Universe offered her a place in their competition. An African book festival withdrew South Africa as a country of focus after the incident. Within South Africa and beyond, a beautiful woman who said she wanted to bring people together, has become an icon of division.
Through not fault of her own, Chidimma tells us a lot about the politics of African identity in South Africa. When Nigerian gangs like Black Axe abuse Pan-Africanism to justify crime, its little wonder some South Africans are suspicious of it. But in the case of Chidima Adetshina, it certainly feels like prejudice won the day.
Sources:
https://republic.com.ng/august-september-2019/rivalry-between-south-africa-and-nigeria/
https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2017-05-16-migration-of-the-nigerian-mafia