Snl24 | ‘Chidimma’s fraudulent birth certificate EXPOSED!’

Chidimma Adetshina (23), who had to drop out of the Miss SA pageant due to the scrutiny of her citizenship.

THE Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs has revealed that two officials from the Department of Home Affairs are currently under investigation for alleged involvement in a fraudulent birth registration linked to former Miss South Africa finalist Chidimma Adetshina’s mum.

The department has identified three officials, who are believed to be connected to Chidimma’s birth registration.

One of the officials has since died, while the other two are investigated.

Advocate Constance Moitse, head of the department’s counter-corruption unit, stated that the investigation is progressing and conducted with the involvement of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks.

“The department’s investigation is at an advanced stage, and we’re also examining other critical aspects to ensure a fair and accurate conclusion to the case,” said Moitse.

She further mentioned that the department is seeking legal advice on the implications of the alleged fraudulent activity on Chidimma’s citizenship status.

“Our drive towards digitisation will help eliminate instances of fraudulent interference,” added Moitse.

The case dates back to 1995 when Chidimma’s mum, born in 1982, applied for her ID document in Tshwane. However, when she attempted to collect it, she was informed that it had to be collected in Joburg, a location she had not applied in.

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In 2001, after giving birth to a child, she discovered that a child had already been registered under her ID number, the child being Chidimma. After months of struggling to obtain a birth certificate for her child, the department issued her a new ID number, allowing her to finally register her child’s birth.

Currently, Chidimma is recognised as a South African citizen based on her mum’s identity, which is now under scrutiny.

“Her status is directly linked to her mum’s, and if the DG cancels the mum’s identity documents, it’ll mean that Chidimma’s birth registration was fraudulent and can’t be legally upheld,” explained a department representative.

Chidimma might be able to apply for citizenship under Section 43 of the Birth Registration Act, assuming she was born in the country. However, the department emphasised that drafters of the legislation likely didn’t foresee a scenario involving a fraudulent birth registration, complicating her situation.

“The critical issue we need to address is whether the cancellation of her status would render her stateless, or whether she holds Nigerian or Mozambican citizenship. The cancellation of her status could, indeed, leave her stateless,” the department concluded.

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