The Department of Home Affairs has requested for space and time to conclude the citizenship investigation of Miss SA hopeful, Chidimma Adetshina.
This after its preliminary findings indicate that the person purporting to be Adetshina’s mother, may have committed fraud and identity theft.
“Prima facie reasons exist to believe that fraud and identity theft may have been committed by the person recorded in Home Affairs records as Chidimma Adetshina’s mother.
Adetshina could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her mother as she was an infant at the time when the activities took place in 2001.
An innocent South African mother whose identity may have been stolen as part of the alleged fraud committed by Adetshina’s mother, suffered as a result because she could not register her child,” said Home Affairs Minister, Dr Leon Schreiber.
The Department said since the release of its preliminary findings, it has received media and public interest into the matter and must be allowed to do its work independently.
“The update provided yesterday indicates that our team is hard at work to establish the full set of facts and committed to communicating those facts in a transparent manner at the appropriate
time.
To safeguard the integrity of the process, the Department will however not be commenting publicly again until we are in a position to announce the final outcome of the inquiry.
We are committed to concluding the investigation speedily,” read a statement from the department.
Meanwhile, the findings of the ongoing investigation added fuel to the social media frenzy that has already been intensifying by the day.
“Looks like #MissSA2024 did not do their due diligence.
This is surely going to dent an already dented image of the pageant.”
“I am loving this new South Africa”.
“They said we are xenophobic, buka manje (look now).
Patriots working overtime.
Baphi (Where are they) abo Julius nabo (and) Pearl Thusi?” read the comments from @IamTomTsibinki, @Jonny_theblessed and @Supajacks respectively.
This has also opened a chat about identity theft with others coming out as victims.
Minister of Arts and Culture, Gayton Mckenzi welcomed the report.
“Our next step is to find the South African mother who suffered because her child’s identity was stolen.
Thank you, Minister, @Leon_Schreiber.
Let’s open this whole racket and arrests should surely follow,” wrote McKenzie.
According Schreiber, engagements with all stakeholders involved are ongoing and upon the completion of the inquiry, criminal charges will be laid against the guilty parties.
