‘I Have Been Treated Unfairly, Targeted’, Chidimma Adetshina Laments As South African Court Adjourns Deportation Case | Sahara Reporters
In a video seen by SaharaReporters, Adetshina said she remained confident in the South African judicial system and would continue to pursue the matter through legal channels.
Former Miss South Africa contestant and Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 winner, Chidimma Adetshina, has said she believes she has been treated unfairly and targeted in South Africa, following the postponement of her legal case challenging her potential deportation and detention.
Adetshina spoke to journalists after the Cape Town Regional Court postponed the case, in which she is seeking legal protection over her status and potential removal from South Africa.
In a video seen by SaharaReporters, Adetshina said she remained confident in the South African judicial system and would continue to pursue the matter through legal channels.
“Firstly, I would like to say that I am grateful that I once again have been able to get an opportunity to have my faith in our courts, and I remind everyone that I was born in South Africa,” she said.
“I have applied through the proper legal channels to have my status and citizenship determined.”
Adetshina said she believed she had been singled out during the controversy surrounding her citizenship and immigration status.
“I believe that I have been treated unfairly and targeted and there has been an attempt to make me an example, but my message is not going to be one out of anger,” she said.
[WATCH] “I believe I have been treated unfairly and targeted and there has been an attempt to make me an example,” Chidimma Adetshina tells journalists after the Cape Town Regional Court postponed her case in which she challenges her potential deportation and detention.… pic.twitter.com/EHCzO6Ke1f
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She urged South Africans to uphold the rule of law and warned against allowing xenophobia and misinformation to influence how individuals are treated.
“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,” Adetshina said.
She said she had consistently used legal avenues throughout the dispute and would continue to comply with the judicial process.
“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.
Adetshina also thanked her family, friends, supporters and lawyers for standing by her throughout the legal battle.
“Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, supporters and my legal representatives for their unwavering support and commitment to my case,” she said.
The development follows a prolonged controversy over Adetshina’s South African citizenship and immigration status, which has generated significant public and political attention in the country.
Her latest court action seeks to challenge the possibility of her detention and deportation while the legal questions surrounding her status are being determined.
Adetshina has maintained that she was born in South Africa and is entitled to have her citizenship and status determined through due legal process.