Supporters of the March and March movement have on August 19, protested outside the Cape Town Regional Court, demanding that Nigerian beauty queen Chidimma Adetshina leave South Africa.
The protest took place as the court prepared to deliver judgment in Adetshina’s legal battle over her immigration status in the country.
The protesters sang and chanted outside the court, with some calling for Adetshina to be deported. Videos and reports from the scene showed supporters carrying placards and protesting as the case was heard.
Adetshina arrived at the court amid a crowd of reporters and protesters and reportedly ran into the court to avoid the gathering.
The beauty queen had earlier been a finalist in the Miss South Africa competition but withdrew from the pageant in 2024 following controversy over her nationality and citizenship. Critics questioned her eligibility after claims that her father was Nigerian.
She subsequently represented Nigeria at the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant, which she won, before going on to represent the country at the Miss Universe competition.
During Wednesday’s protest, some demonstrators carried placards with messages including, “She claimed Nigeria and was crowned Ms Nigeria,” and “Illegal immigrants are a burden in our country.”
Adetshina was arrested in June 2026 after South African authorities alleged that she entered the country through the Lebombo border from Mozambique despite previously being declared a prohibited person.
She is challenging the government’s attempt to detain her pending possible deportation. Her legal team has disputed the authorities’ position.
The case has attracted significant attention in both South Africa and Nigeria, particularly because of the controversy surrounding Adetshina’s citizenship and her participation in the 2024 Miss South Africa competition before she represented Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant.
