South Africa’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ronald Lamola has stated that the controversy surrounding Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina, who has Nigerian heritage, does not impact the country’s diplomatic relationship with Nigeria.
Lamola emphasized that South Africa’s relationship with Nigeria remains strong and continues to strengthen.
The controversy erupted last week when Adetshina, born in South Africa to a Nigerian father, withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant. This followed a quick investigation revealing that her Mozambican mother might have obtained South African residency fraudulently.
The situation caused a stir, particularly after a Caucasian contestant was declared the winner, leading to heated exchanges between Nigerians and South Africans on social media.
Lamola clarified that the issue surrounding the 23-year-old Adetshina was solely about eligibility and adherence to the Miss South Africa pageant’s rules.
“Those are things related to that process and should not be interpreted to mean that it’s outside or it’s a reflection on South Africa’s foreign diplomatic relations with Nigeria,” he said.
