South Africans launch petition, demand sack of Home Affairs Minister

South Africans have referred to as for the sack of Leon Schreiber, the Residence Affairs minister, after Chidimma Adetshina, Miss Universe Nigeria and the primary runner-up of Miss Universe 2024, was noticed of their nation.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Ms Adetshina, born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and Mozambican mom, withdrew from Miss South Africa 2024 over backlash and citizenship fraud issues.

Following public outcry, Residence Affairs introduced plans to revoke her mom’s IDs after investigations.

Months after the pageant star acknowledged she had no plans to return to South Africa as a consequence of backlash, a viral video on Monday confirmed the 23-year-old regulation pupil chatting with a number of ladies at Life Grand Café in Waterfront, Cape City.

Spotlighting her go to, widespread South African citizen and X influencer Kwena Moleka expressed issues over how Adetshina may return to South Africa regardless of the revocation of her identification and journey paperwork.

Ms Moleka alleged that Adetshina had beforehand left the nation by means of doubtful means and returned with impunity, disregarding South African legal guidelines.

Breaking Information: Chidimma Adetshina seen at Life Grand Cafe in Waterfront, Cape City.

After she left South Africa ,utilizing unscrupulous channels, Chidimma Adetshina is seen BOLDY strolling the streets of South Africa with disregard for the legal guidelines of this nation and a despicable… pic.twitter.com/R4fbQHp4Vs

— Kwena Molekwa (@Miz_Ruraltarain) February 10, 2025

Resignation name; petition

Following the outrage over the 2024 Miss Universe runner-up’s go to, calls intensified for the Residence Affairs Minister’s resignation, with many questioning the division’s failure to implement immigration legal guidelines.

Criticism grew on-line, with some accusing the SA Border Administration Company of “corruption” and calling Cape City “a refuge for worldwide criminals.”

We South Africa 🇿🇦 must signal this Petition towards Minister of Residence Affairs Leon Schreiber first Chidimma Mom left South Africa whereas below investigation for fraud,and Identification theft,now Chidimma Is again in South Africa whereas her ID was declared invalid He should go his… pic.twitter.com/JlhOfyBXlu

— MEHMET VEFA DAG (@AFRICANDEMOC) February 11, 2025

Whereas some demand authorities accountability and suggest a petition to take away the minister, others dismiss the outrage as overblown.

In the meantime, the ministry insists investigations are ongoing and has vowed to prosecute these concerned in any fraud.

This newspaper’s checks present that an SA activist, Mehmet Vefa DAG, began a petition for the minister’s resignation over Ms Adetshina’s identification case and the minister’s choice to increase immigrant work visas.

As of press time, the petition has been signed by 6,899 individuals, with a goal of seven,500. The activist acknowledged, “We South Africans must signal this petition towards Minister of Residence Affairs Leon Schreiber. First, Chidimma’s Mom left South Africa whereas below investigation for fraud and identification theft.”

The petition additional argues that this transfer is a “extreme blow” to South Africa’s unemployment disaster, affecting “over 19,000,000 expert employees.”

The petition claims that corporations desire hiring immigrants as a result of they “settle for decrease wages” and that “many include falsified {qualifications},” undermining native job seekers. It additionally criticises Schreiber for reversing the efforts of his predecessor, Aaron Motsoaledi, and calls on unemployed South Africans to “make their voices heard” by signing in protest.

We South Africa 🇿🇦 must signal this Petition towards Minister of Residence Affairs Leon Schreiber first Chidimma Mom left South Africa whereas below investigation for fraud,and Identification theft,now Chidimma Is again in South Africa whereas her ID was declared invalid He should go his… pic.twitter.com/JlhOfyBXlu

— MEHMET VEFA DAG (@AFRICANDEMOC) February 11, 2025

This controversy additionally comes amid a current anti-corruption crackdown on the Division of Residence Affairs, the place 18 officers had been dismissed in November 2024 for fraud and unlawful doc processing. Minister Schreiber vowed continued acti6on to revive integrity.

Background

The controversy surrounding Ms Adetshina started when she entered the Miss South Africa pageant, sparking debates about her nationality. Investigations later revealed that her Mozambican-born mom had allegedly obtained a South African ID fraudulently, which was then used to safe Ms Adetshina’s citizenship.

In October 2024, the Division of Residence Affairs revoked each their identification paperwork and journey permits after they didn’t show their authorized standing.

Below South African immigration legal guidelines, a toddler born within the nation can solely declare citizenship if a minimum of one father or mother is South African or if the kid has no different nationality. Because the pageant star has Nigerian heritage by means of her father, authorities dominated that she didn’t qualify.

Nonetheless, she has persistently maintained her South African identification, stating in a TVC interview in December 2024 that she felt “betrayed by these questioning her nationality.”

Regardless of the controversy, she moved on to win Miss Universe Nigeria and later made historical past as Nigeria’s first runner-up at Miss Universe 2024. Nonetheless, she not too long ago introduced her choice to step away from magnificence pageants, citing “emotional exhaustion and cyberbullying,” and plans to concentrate on her schooling whereas selling unity between Nigeria, South Africa, and Africa as an entire.