Miss South Africa 2024 has concluded, but the ugly race row surrounding the beauty pageant is still simmering.
It was won by Mia Le Roux (left) who became the first deaf contestant to win the title. She has European heritage (some outlets report she’s a descendant of Dutch settlers) and her eligibility was never debated. However, that wasn’t the case for fellow contestant Chidimma Adetshina (right).
She pulled out just hours before the final following weeks of online abuse over claims she wasn’t South African enough. Even though she was born in the country and brought up in Soweto, her father was Nigerian and her mother had Mozambican roots. It even saw Gayton Mckenzie, the country’s Arts and Sports Minister, post a message on X venting his anger there was a hint she was ‘Nigerian’. Claims then surfaced Chidimma’s mom may have faked her own South African identity, although officials made clear Chidimma had not committed any offence.
Online vitriol reached such a level, Chidimma quit the event, even though organisers insisted she met all criteria to compete.
Global news platform Semafor says her experience highlights a ‘very particular type of bigotry in South Africa: Afrophobia.’ We agree. It’s a story that reveals a sad reality. Some South Africans have no problems being represented by citizens with European ancestry, but they draw the line at those who have heritage of other African countries.
Btw Gayton Mckenzie was quick to congratulate Mia’s victory adding ‘I know you will represent us well.’
