As the grey Capetonian clouds continue to wail mercilessly, we approach the mid-point of the month reserved for the celebration of women in our communities. Meanwhile, the pressing issue of xenophobia in South Africa persists, and suddenly, it makes sense just why the weather has been so restless lately. Miss South Africa 2024 has revealed its top 13 finalists thus far, a stellar accomplishment for each of these ladies. Unfortunately, one of these majestic glamazons who will be prancing atop the highly coveted platform this October, Chidimma Vanessa Onwe Adetshina (22), has fallen under immense scrutiny stemming from sheer hatred erupting in vile suggestions of impeachment online regarding her nationality and whether or not she is legally a South African citizen. Unsurprisingly, there is an alarming amount of illiteracy informing the lack of sensical opinions displayed in the comment sections of beautiful and educated women like Adetshina by sour-milk internet trolls.
Without a doubt, the outcry from the public has shoved Adetshina into the darker side of the limelight, an insidious picture painted by ignorant South Africans who vehemently disapprove of cold, hard facts. The Miss SA pageant rules are as follows: “The applicant must be a South African Citizen and in possession of a valid South African document or passport. If the applicant holds dual citizenship, please provide details of both”. Written in bold and highlighted, most likely aimed at the illiterate bigots online inebriated by a kink for social media trolling and misogynoir, this clear regulation is easily accessible on the Miss SA website.
Despite this, an overwhelming reaction from men emerged on the X social media platform; “They should ask her about drugs in SA”, “No way this girl is beautiful than SA women”, “She’s not even beautiful with her insufficient hairline”. When questioned on the matter, the former Minister of Police even came to Adetshina’s defence, while Prof Thuli Madonsela also took to the X platform to express her solidarity with Adetshina. Adetshina was born at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, SOUTH AFRICA. Currently studying law, she resides right here in the mother city, as seen on the map of SOUTH AFRICA. Her family continues to reside in Soweto, a SOUTH AFRICAN township. As far as I’m concerned, the only foreign point of discussion here are the resounding ignorant mindsets on social media, not in touch with or in any proximity to the reality of a melanin SOUTH AFRICAN beauty having multiple lineages stretching as far as the historic township of Soweto in South Africa, to the bustling city of Lagos in Nigeria.
The false notion that Ms Adetshina is not a local South African citizen has been rampant on social media platforms, which leads some of us to suspect that an alternate motive is at play here: the complexion of her skin. I am inclined to believe that this is an attack on her appearance rather than the description of her origins imprinted pristinely across the top of her ID card!  Adetshina even represents the province of Western Cape in netball, further demonstrating the depth of her roots in this country, yet the seething trolls motivated by the cloak of anonymity online continue to discredit her in the most vile manners of speech. I will have you know that former Miss SA Vanessa Carreira-Coutroulis, who was crowned back in 2001, has Portoguese-Angolan parents but managed to ascend to her victory unscathed by such horrendous public scrutiny. Meanwhile, Adetshina’s father is Nigerian while her mother has roots in Mozambique, I wonder what’s the difference here; one can deduce that these similarities are outweighed by the favored porcelain visual appearance of Mrs Coutrolis. This unfair treatment is not a minor misstep. We must call it what it is.
Adetshina told Sowetan Mag: “To me, I see this as an opportunity where I can educate people, I just need to see how I go about it.” In the spirit of Women’s Month, I must ponder the possibility of a renaissance, demystifying the clogged minds of our brothers and sisters by educating each other, as Adetshina has stated herself. Could we be witnessing a phenomenon of enlightenment that ought to cleanse us Africans of this ill-conceived propaganda we label as xenophobia? Or are we just voyeurs to yet another public spectacle of the cruel exclusion of a black (South African) woman’s integrity, spirit, and, dare I say, beauty? In 2024, we need a Miss SA in whom black women can see themselves reflected. Chidimma Adetshina, a recent divorcee with a beautiful son and an impending Law qualification from Varsity College, represents the women I grew up around, the women who champion their scars and anchor our homes through unconditional love. So touch some grass, internet trolls, and cut the crap, men! You already have your plate full with the possible retirement of your worshipped idol (Messi) getting a ligament injury on the playground, where you all clearly ought to be…touching grass.