EFF MP Naledi Chirwa has come out in defence of Miss South Africa contender Chidimma Vannessa Adetshina, who is currently under public scrutiny following the credibility behind her nationality.
Although recognised as a South African, Adetshina was born to a Nigerian father and Mozambican mother.
With calls from social media, in particular X, for Adetshina to resign or the Miss SA organisation to sack her from the competition, Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Gayton Mckenzie promised to look into the matter as soon as possible.
“I will definitely get more information, we truly cannot have Nigerians compete in our Miss SA competition. I want to get all the facts before I comment, but it gives funny vibes already,” said McKenzie.
https://x.com/GaytonMcK/status/1818012494461550697?t=4zAjs30f6DUm0Ty10cznsA&s=19
McKenzie is infamous for his phrase abahambe, which translates to “they (foreigners) must go” back to their home countries. The minister was gunning for the Home Affairs ministerial office to deport illegal foreigners before he was deployed to his current office.
Chirwa slammed the minister, accusing him of being unpatriotic and illiterate on South African politics, which may align with his criminal career in the past.
“You are not ‘patriotic’ at all. You do not know the South African Constitution. You do not respect the South African governance office at executive level. You do not know South African history. You do not know South African statistics on anything, not even your favourite subject,” Chirwa said.
Chirwa further accused McKenzie of being a misogynoir, but kept mum over claims on social media that Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber is of Zimbabwean nationality.
“You do not respect South African laws, and this is not historic. Even today, you do not stand with SA when we stand with Palestine. Just bigotry. You have got all the time to take on a black woman, but hide behind a*s when questioned about the white minister of Home Affairs (Schreiber). Hate weak men,” said Chirwa.
The call for Adetshina to pull out in the final stages of the competition intensified, spawning a petition from social media on Monday.
The petition wrote: “Ms Adetshina, although born in SA, is a product of a Nigerian father and a South African woman of Mozambican descent. Origins are complex by nature, and thus, her ability to represent South African values may not be in alignment with traditional expectations. In a bid to sustain our country’s legacy and uphold national values, we implore the organisers of the pageant to reflect on this issue critically and reconsider Adetshina’s place in the final.”
In a matter of a few hours, the petition garnered over 14 000 signatures, in an attempt to reach 15 000 signatures.
https://x.com/AfricaFactsZone/status/1818351668293251314?t=4zAjs30f6DUm0Ty10cznsA&s=19
However, the petition was removed on the basis of “hate or discrimination” towards Adetshina.
The Star
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