'Dem born me for South Africa' - Chidinma Adetshina tok as court postpone judgement on her immigration status

Di Cape Town regional court for South Africa don postpone judgment on Chidimma Adetshina immigration status and bid to stop her detention pending her deportation case.

Court go now hear di mata on 27 February, 2027.

Di case wey di state carry be say di model wey bin waka as former Miss Universe Nigeria no get valid legal status for South Africa afta dem revoke her citizenship.

But her lawyers for case dey argue say she get deep ties for di kontri and her status fit dey regularised sake of say na dia dem born am.

Ms Adetshina dey challenge di Department of Home Affairs deportation order wey make dem drag her go court.

Speaking afta di hearing for one Cape Town, Adetshina tok say "attempt don dey " by di South African authorities to make example of her wit dis case.

"I wan remind everyone say na South Africa dem born me. I don apply through di proper legal channels to determine my status and citizenship," she tok.

Di pageant contestant add say "we no suppose allow xenophobia and misinformation to determine how pipo go dey treated", wey be like shot to protesters wey bin gada outside di court dey call for her deportation.

Di protest wey di anti-migrant group March and March lead, wey dey di forefront of calls for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa, and many bin run afta her car as she comot di courthouse.

Adetshina, wey be law student at di time, comot South Africa for 2024 and go on to win Miss Universe Nigeria afta di organisers invite her to participate.

For court, South Africa home affairs department argue say she apply for South African visa while she dey for Nigeria and Nigerian passports for her and her son wey suggest say she no be South African citizen, according to reports for di News24 site.

Officials then tok say she return to South Africa illegally via one Mozambican border post.

Adetshina bin previously argue say her home na for South Africa.

Dem postpone her case to February 2027 to allow for di finalisation of her review wey dey challenge home affairs' decision to deport her.

She go remain a free woman until dem don complete di process.

Dem strip Adetshina of her South African identity and travel documents for 2024 following allegations say her mother, Anabela Rungo, commit identity fraud to gain South African nationality.

However, say dem born you for South Africa no dey automatically grant citizenship to dat pesin.

One of di parents gatz be citizen themselves or a permanent resident in order for dat to happen.

South Africa authorities bin arrest her for June ontop allegation say she enta di kontri illegally.

Di hearing of di case happun for Cape Town Regional Court and tori be say her legal team dey argue say Ms Chidinma Adetsina get strong ties wit South Africa.

Dem dey also argue say dem born her for di kontri and na for dia she born her son too.

She bin show face for court on Monday, 20 July 2026 to challenge di move by Home Affairs to deport her from South Africa.

Chidimma bin trend afta she withdraw from Miss South Africa beauty pageant for 2024. Since dat pageant happun, she don dey face plenty challenges about her right to live for South Africa.

How di mata start

According to Sunday World, na di Department of Home Affairs central law enforcement office na im bin dey find wia Chidinma Adetshina dey stay.

Dem later find out say she and her son wey be minor dey allegedly live for South Africa witout legal status.

"For di affidavit, I go now bring reasons wey go dey in di interest of justice to detain dis pesin for di purpose of deportation to di kontri of origin."

According to di affidavit, officials bin confam Adetshina details wey dey inside di electronic system of di department, bin interview her to determine her immigration status.

"Afta di above 'status determination' interview and di Department of Home Affairs residency IT systems checks, we don confam say di applicant no hold any lawful Republic of South Africa (RSA) residential status and she be illegal foreigner," na wetin dem write for Immigration official Jackson affidavit.

"I submit say di illegal foreigner wilfully and intentionally stay for hia as resident unlawfully for RSA in contravention of di Immigration Act 13 of 2022."

Jackson bin ask di court to "confam di detention of di illegal foreigner for di purpose of deportation so dat di Department of Home Affairs go fulfil dia full mandate to facilitate di removal of illegal foreigners from di Republic of South Africa".

Bifor now, Chidimma bin don apply to di Department of Home Affairs make dem review dia decision wey ban her for 2024 but di Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber bin dismiss her application for March wia im uphold di decision to ban her.

Tori be say di Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Leon bin write to Adetshina on September 2024 wia im tell dem say di department wan cancel her and her pikin South African identity documents.

"Di department bin notify you of di intention...for September 2024, and you bin fail to respond," Schreiber tok.

Im add say Adetshina collect Nigerian passport wen she bin dey for Nigeria bifor she bin apply for South African visitor visa.

"On 20 September 2024, you bin collect Nigerian passport number … while you still dey for Nigeria, and you bin apply for South African visitor visa, and dem bin reject your application becos you bin submit mago-mago bank statement. You no appeal di rejection."

Schreiber add say dem declare Adetshina prohibited pesin for December 19, 2024.

"In terms of di Immigration Act, prohibited pesin no qualify for any visa or permit to remain for di Republic," Schreiber tok.

Im also allege say Adetshina later enta South Africa through di Lebombo border post from Mozambique and she bin present hersef as South African citizen.

"You re-enter South Africa through Mozambique, for di Lebombo border post, on 15 June 2024, presenting yoursef as South African citizen using passport number… and den you bin apply for a letter of good cause, of which you fail di good cause test wey dey inside di Immigration Regulation 30(1)."

Di minister also reject di immigration application wey concern Adetshina son.

"As di application for di minor child dey dependent on di one wey di primary applicant submit, im legal status dey linked to her," Schreiber tok.

"Sake of di rejection of di primary applicant request sake of her prohibited status and di submission of fraudulent documentation, di minor child no get independent basis to remain for di Republic."