'I've been suppressing my emotions' BBC Africa

A beauty queen who received xenophobic abuse in South Africa and became the subject of a government investigation has told the BBC she will be seeking therapy because of the saga.

Chidimma Adetshina, who was a finalist in the Miss South Africa beauty contest, sparked criticism as despite being a South African citizen, her father is Nigerian and her mother has Mozambican roots.

She quit the contest last month - the day after the home affairs department announced that her mother may have committed "identity theft" to become a South African national.

Ms Adetshina was then invited to enter Miss Universe Nigeria - which she won - but said she had been "suppressing her emotions" throughout.

#ChidimmaAdetshina #missuniverse #missuniversenigeria

Filmed by Adekola Olawale
Interview by Helen Oyibo

[MigrationMadeEasy]

As South Africans. Let’s just sit back, and relax because the truth always has a way of coming out. Just watch.

[eldios]

Thank you nigeria for standing on bigger businesses....all I know about life is that energy exerted is never lost

[JeannyK]

I can imagine going through what this girl went through in this whole journey yet she gave it another shot in such a short space of time. Her strength, her resilience and her tenacity is incredible. I respect her a lot and I just hope she wins miss Universe. ❤❤

[Retroglamamour]

Why are people dragging this incredible woman for her parents’ crimes? Not the same person. Reminds me how people also dragged Moraya Wilson (Miss Universe Australia 2023) for her parents’ crimes and guess what…. she was 2RU in 2023✨ They might try to smear your name but nobody can smear your character and heart Chidimma. Shine bright, you will make Nigeria 🇳🇬 proud!

[dorcushatlane]

Let's be honest about this matter of lovely Chidinma. Where was this girl born??? Her father said publicly that he and his wife went to SA for the first time in 2010 and they had no child..with all that said..WHO IS THIS CHIDINMA AND WHERE WAS THIS GIRL BORN? WHO ARE HER PARENTS???

[KhayaMkhize-pl]

BBC Africa as much as you presented the story of a traumatized Chdima who needs therapy because of xenophobic South Africans, for the sake of fair journalism please do present the story of an innocent mother in South Africa whose ID was stolen and her future and that of her child ruined in the process. We need to hear her story and we want to see her cry and weep like Chidima. Thank you

[siyabongamthembu]

Criminality can not be "litter barriers" she always misses the opportunity to show light to a real issue of illegal immigrants and identity theft that is rampant in South Africa by choosing to paint herself as the ultimate victim... the only ultimate victim in this entire situation is the person who's identity was stolen!

[tamasberes]

There is a Lady out there who lost her name, her identity, she become unknown and alien in her own country. Who cannot further studied, who cannot find employment, who later cannot registered her own child. All that is because a selfish illegal immigrant from Mozambique stole all of that from her. NO ONE MUST FORGET ABOUT
This lady knew very well growing up in South Africa that her parents are not South Africans. She knew her mother's accent is foreign. She probably met her mothers relatives in Mozambique, she probably knew that not one of her mother's family member has her mother's surname, I'm pretty sure she questioned it, maybe her mother even told her the truth, and as a law student she must have learned that corruption and identity theft is a punishable crime. As a law student she must have known that if none of your parents are SA citizen, than a child cannot be SA citizens either. But now she is acting all innocent, crying crocodile tears, trying to get sympathy from the world, playing the victim, using her mess to benefit her in the upcoming Miss Universe.
SHAME. What a looser.

[beverlyuazengisa]

As a Namibian i was following this story, everything is unfair the girls identity who was stolen needs to heel she is actually the real victim here.... Now the other contestants got rip of their crown after they worked so hart to part take in miss universe Nigeria its like she was placed there just to win to make a statement as she was growing media attention, its not fair again for the other Nigerian girls who went through all trials. its a kak situation!

[pnsqidg]

It's funny because her supporters don't cover the unfortunate circumstances the victim of the identity theft. Even an apology. Use this as an opportunity to discuss such things as well, no, they focus on the fact that Some South Africans did not want her to be a beauty queen. Even if South Africans did bully her, it still doesn't erase the holistic story that happened. So to me she comes off as very pridefull and doesn't care about other people in achieving that, which her mother displayed when she bore her.

[rushnande]

Has BBC seen the video of the young lady whose ID was stolen crying her eyes out that she couldn't register for anything, she couldn't register for school, doesn't have bank account, couldn't benefit from social welfare grants, cannot register her child, cannot get a formal job because her Identity number is used by someone else?

Chichi should cry to her parents because her existence was fraudulent. We cannot sympathize with her over our own whose life has been stuck.

Chichi parents must be jailed together with the officials involved in this. Chichi knew that her parents were not SAn she had Nigerian Mozambiquen flags on her social media accounts.

We don't sympathize with her we are happy for her that she won Miss Universe Nigeria where she belongs.

[bluecouchpodcast]

Her parents committed a crime by fraudulently stealing someone's identity

[nicxqsj]

As a South African im not shocked Especially that the story is being directed by nigeria call us xenophobic No one is going to destroy a life of a South african child just for them to benefit GOD give us land you named yours n we named ours god bless
🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦

[thabangmnguni]

As a South Africa half of the story is being told by this young lady her Mother has been accused of identity theft so tell the Truth Chidima

[lnmtongana]

Someone please ask her what her views are on identity theft? I want to see something.

[kqkiobj]

What about that poor black child whose identity you used. You will come back and pay

[homonaledi]

BBC please also interview the South African mother and daughter whose identification was stolen by Chidimma's parents. Find out how their life has been like for them with no identification for all these years.

[bluecouchpodcast]

My question is WHERE was her mother when this controversy rose up. Any mother would rise up and fight if she feels her daughter was being discriminated BUT she chose not to and WENT TO hiding because she knows she did something wrong at Home Affairs

[muzinkosi]

If she needs to heal, imagine the girl who's identity was stolen.

[KhayaMkhize-pl]

Proudly Nigerian. Wow! So why did she enter Miss South Africa, a proudly Nigerian Miss SA?? Thank you South Africa for standing up for your country. I know this message will be deleted!