Miss SA Contestant Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina Faces Xenophobic Backlash Over Nationality
Miss South Africa 2024 contestant Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina has found herself at the center of a xenophobic storm.
The 23-year-old model from Soweto, who has advanced to the Top 30 of the Miss SA competition, is facing intense scrutiny and backlash over her Nigerian and Mozambican heritage.
Miss SA Contestant’s Heritage Sparks Controversy
Chidimma Adetshina’s participation in the 2024 Miss SA pageant has triggered fury from South Africans on social media. She has come under xenophobic attack over her nationality.
Her participation has ignited a heated debate about national identity and eligibility. Critics have taken to social media to question her suitability as a representative of South Africa, with some suggesting that her heritage disqualifies her from the competition.
Also Read: In Pictures: Natasha Joubert Crowned Miss SA 2023
South Africans Express Outrage
South Africans have taken to social media to express their anger over her participation in Miss SA, arguing that she is not South African.
Netizens argue that she will never be Miss SA and have called for people to boycott the pageant if she is not removed.
Here are some of the reactions;
@Mlu__N7;
I’m not too patriotic. However, a young woman of the State of Igbo being the ambassador of our country that will be a disgrace. This one shall never be Miss SA. Ngisho esekhala!!!!
@joy_zelda;
We need to sign a Petition to get Chidima Vanessa Onwe the Nigerian to be disqualified as Miss SA,she can’t even speak our language,She knows nothing about our culture We South Africans can’t allow her to represent us as #MissSA2024
@kadibetsow1;
I don’t care who says what but this girl is not South African and she must be removed from the Miss SA contest with immediate effect, we will never be represented by Nigerian drug Lords in our own country, where do I sign a petition for her removal
@SouthAhhfrican;
Chidimma Vannesa Onwe Adetshina doesn’t even “identify” as a South African. What type of ambassador is this? Shouldn’t she be competing in the Nigeria and Mozambique?
There are plenty proud South Africans that deserve that space.
Chidimma Speaks Out on Nationality Backlash and Emotional Toll
Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina has revealed that people are questioning her nationality amidst the backlash she is receiving.
“I was so excited to enter Miss SA and I didn’t think that far as to what the public would think. Once I got to the top 16, that’s when I felt it. People on X were asking why I’m competing because I’m not South African. They questioned my nationality, along with my parents.
Initially, she ignored the massive criticism and xenophobic attacks directed at her on social media, but she is now starting to feel their impact, Chidimma told TimesLive.
She is beginning to question if it is even worth representing a country where she does not feel the love from its people.
Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina expressed that the backlash she is facing stems from “black-on-black hate.” She pointed out that she is not the only contestant in the Miss South Africa competition with a surname that is not traditionally South African. However, she feels that the scrutiny she faces is disproportionately intense, which she attributes to her skin colour
“At first I ignored it but as I progressed in the competition the criticism started growing. Until I thought to myself, ‘I am representing a country but I don’t feel the love from the people I’m representing’ — I even asked myself, ‘Is it worth it?”
“I feel all of this is black-on-black hate, as I’m not the only one in this competition who has a surname that’s not South African. I feel the attention is on me because of my skin colour, which I think is a disadvantage; it’s also been something I had to overcome growing up,” she said.