The Cape Town Regional Court has postponed a decision on whether former Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina should be detained pending possible deportation, extending her legal battle with South African immigration authorities into 2027.
The court postponed the matter on 19 August 2026 and scheduled it to return on 27 February 2027. The detention proceedings are linked to a separate case before the Western Cape High Court concerning Adetshina’s legal status in South Africa.
The Department of Home Affairs wants the court to confirm her detention while authorities pursue possible deportation. The department maintains that Adetshina does not currently have valid legal status in the country.
Her lawyers oppose detention and are challenging decisions taken by Home Affairs over her status.
High Court case remains central
At the centre of the dispute is a separate review application before the Western Cape High Court.
Adetshina’s legal team is challenging a Home Affairs decision affecting her status and documentation in South Africa. The outcome could have a direct bearing on the proceedings concerning her possible detention and deportation.
The Regional Court has therefore delayed the detention matter while the High Court proceedings remain unresolved.
For now, Adetshina remains out of detention. She is required to remain at her current address and report regularly to an immigration officer while the legal process continues.
The postponement does not mean the deportation case has been dismissed. It also does not amount to a finding that Adetshina must be deported. The dispute over her status remains before the courts.
Arrested after returning to South Africa
Adetshina was arrested in June 2026 after allegedly entering South Africa through the Lebombo border post from Mozambique despite having been declared a prohibited person.
She was later released on warning.
Home Affairs has argued for detention while it pursues possible deportation. Her lawyers have opposed that position and have supported alternatives that would allow her to remain outside detention while complying with immigration requirements.
Speaking outside court following the latest proceedings, Adetshina maintained that she was born in South Africa and said she had used the appropriate legal processes to have her status determined.
She also said she believed she had been treated unfairly and targeted during the dispute.
The case has continued to attract public attention. Members of anti-immigration group Operation Dudula were among those gathered outside the court calling for her deportation.
Citizenship controversy began in 2024
Adetshina became the subject of a national debate over citizenship and identity while competing in the 2024 Miss South Africa pageant.
Questions about her family background led to intense public scrutiny, and she eventually withdrew from the competition.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs subsequently investigated the registration of her birth. The controversy included allegations concerning the circumstances under which her mother registered Adetshina’s birth.
An important distinction remains: authorities have not accused Adetshina herself of carrying out the alleged fraud connected with the original birth registration.
The dispute nevertheless affected her South African documentation and eventually developed into the immigration and court proceedings now being contested.
After withdrawing from Miss South Africa, Adetshina entered Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 and won the competition. She went on to represent Nigeria at Miss Universe later that year, finishing as first runner-up.
Her pageant success increased her international profile, while questions surrounding her South African status continued in the background.
What happens next?
The immediate legal issue is not simply whether Adetshina will ultimately be deported.
The Regional Court is considering whether she should be detained while Home Affairs pursues that process. At the same time, her lawyers are using the High Court proceedings to challenge decisions that underpin the government’s position on her legal status.
That distinction is important because the February 2027 date should not be interpreted as a final deportation date.
Until the courts determine the outstanding legal questions, Adetshina remains subject to the conditions of her release rather than immigration detention.
Any significant ruling from the Western Cape High Court before February could also affect how the Regional Court proceeds with the detention case.
Unless there is an earlier development in the High Court proceedings, the Cape Town Regional Court matter is scheduled to return on 27 February 2027.
Sources: eNCA, EWN, SABC News
