After being harassed because of her nationality and forced to withdraw from the Miss South Africa pageant, Chidimma Adetshina has been crowned the beauty queen of a completely different country.
Ms Adetshina shed tears of joy when she was crowned Miss Universe Nigeria on Saturday.
“This crown is not just for beauty; it is a call for unity,” the 23-year-old law student said after weeks of being at the center of a media storm.
She was invited to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria after her position as a finalist in the Miss South Africa pageant drew a wave of criticism.
Some people in South Africa questioned her suitability to take part in the beauty pageant. Although Ms Adetshina is a South African citizen, her father is Nigerian and her mother has Mozambican roots.
In interviews, Ms. Adetshina said she was born in Soweto, a South African township near Johannesburg, and grew up in Cape Town.
The dispute over her nationality led to an investigation by the organisers of Miss South Africa, who asked the Department of Home Affairs to investigate her suitability.
After an initial investigation, the department revealed that Ms Adetshina’s mother may have committed ‘identity fraud’ to become a South African citizen.
However, the statement also stated that Ms Adetshina “could not have been involved in her mother’s alleged unlawful acts as she was a baby at the time”.
A day after the announcement, Ms Adetshina withdrew from the competition, saying she had made the decision for her own safety and well-being and that of her family.
Her ordeal had now made headlines worldwide.
After hearing Ms. Adetshina’s story, the organizers of Miss Universe Nigeria invited her to participate in their competition.
They said she could “represent her father’s native country on the international stage”.
After winning the competition on Saturday, Ms Adetshina will represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant in November.
Her rivals include Mia le Roux, who won this year’s Miss South Africa pageant after Ms Adetshina withdrew.
Madame Le Roux became the first deaf woman in history to win the crown.
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