South Africa’s Minister of Sports, Arts, and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, has addressed the controversy surrounding Miss SA 2024 finalist, Chidimma Adetshina, and her eligibility to compete.
Chidimma Adetshina, a 23-year-old law student and model from Soweto, has faced xenophobic backlash because her father is a Nigerian while her mother is a South African of Mozambican descent.
A viral video showing Chidimma celebrating with her Nigerian relatives has sparked further outrage on social media, with many South Africans calling for her disqualification.
When asked on social media about his stance on Chidimma and the viral video, Gayton McKenzie stated that Nigerians should not be allowed to compete in the Miss SA pageant.
He, however, added that he would gather more information before making any definitive comments.
McKenzie said, “I just returned from Paris and will definitely get more information tomorrow, we truly cannot have Nigerians compete in our Miss SA competition. I wanna get all facts before I comment but it gives funny vibes already.”
The minister also mentioned that the video of Chidimma with Nigerians raised valid concerns, which he plans to address after getting all the facts.
He emphasized that the issue is not gossip but a legitimate question raised by the video.
“You want me to ignore people that voted for me? You want me to ignore a legitimate question? I will get the facts and return with an answer. This is not gossip, that video raises legitimate suspicion,” McKenzie said.
Watch the video below:
https://twitter.com/NalaThokozane/status/1817991650452586784
KanyiDaily recalls that Nigerian rapper, Ice Prince Zamani recently described the social media feud between Nigerians and South Africans as a “family feud.”