‘South Africans should leave her alone’ - Shehu Sani on Adetshina's possible loss of South African identity

A photo collage of Shehu Sani and Chidimma Adetshina

Former Nigerian Senator Shehu Sani has expressed his disappointment at the South Africa authorities after reports emerged that Chidimma Adetshina, a beauty queen and recent Miss Universe Nigeria winner would lose her South African identity and travel documents amid a nationality dispute involving her mother’s alleged “identity theft.”

Adetshina has been in the middle of an identity roll after it emerged her mother was involved in an identity theft before she was born.

The controversy arose when Adetshina, whose father is Nigerian and mother Mozambican, reached the finals of the Miss South Africa pageant, igniting xenophobic criticism and prompting her withdrawal in August.

Reacting to the reports, Sani wrote, "South Africans should leave her alone."

According to the reports, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs announced its decision in a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, October 29 after Adetshina and her mother missed a deadline to justify their citizenship status.

Tommy Makhode, the top civil servant at the department, said Ms Adetshina’s mother would also have her documents cancelled as they had both failed to meet Monday’s deadline to provide reasons why they should be eligible to keep them.