A week ago, precisely last week Sunday, Nigeria’s Chidimma emerged as the first runner up at the 73rd Miss Universe contest held in Mexico. Adetshina was just a step away from achieving the feat of her compatriot, Agbeni Darego, who had won the Miss World pageant in 2001.
The final moments of the event at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico, announced early Sunday morning saw Nigeria and Denmark, as the two women stood poised to claim the crown.
Miss Denmark, Victoria Kjaer Theilvig, ultimately won the crown taking over from Miss Universe 2023, Sheynnis Palacios of Nicaragua.
The competition, described as one of the most thrilling in recent years, celebrated the talents, intelligence, and elegance of women from around the globe.
However, her experience on her way to this stage was indeed very traumatic, and according to her, she also contemplated quitting several times. Thank God she did not. Today, being the first runner up and her being crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, is testimony to her strong will, determination and resolve as a young girl with the world before her to conquer.
For no fault of hers, Chidimma became a victim of hatred and xenophobic attacks that is now a common feature in South Africa, where she was born. Born to a Nigerian father and a South African mother with Mozambican roots, she was considered not South African enough to represent the country at the Miss Universe pageant.
Worried for her safety and the well-being of her family after she was targeted in xenophobic online attacks, she pulled out of the South African competition at the final stage. Shortly after stepping down, Nigeria’s pageant organizers invited her to represent her father’s country.
Thanks to Silverbird, an organisation whose reputation in the entertainment industry has gained legendary status, brought her back to her father land where she competed as Miss Taraba and won the Miss Universe Nigeria.
Whereas some may just question what the fuss is about a beauty pageant? It actually goes beyond beauty pageantry. It betrays the unfortunate reality of an African continent that is very far from being united and that is not ready to take its rightful place in the world. If an African that left the country a few years earlier can become a citizen and represent their adopted countries, how is that an African born in South Africa cannot represent South Africa?
This particular trend has become synonymous with South Africans, who for some strange reasons are more comfortable with their oppressors from outside of the continent than they are with their fellow blacks and Africans. Chidimma’s experience is the same with several Nigerians who live in South Africa but are scared every day of their safety and wellbeing.
For many years South Africans have especially targeted Nigerians and their businesses in that country. What is the hatred about? How unfortunate it’s to think that it’s the same people who supported them against minority oppressive rule that are now hated while those who plundered their resources and subjugated them all those years are hardly subjected to these shameful treatments.For even ridiculous reasons such as marrying their women, Nigerian men, especially, are attacked and killed.
In South Africa, children like Chidimma, born by South African women to Nigerians are constantly bullied, attacked and discriminated against in schools. So Chidimma’s experience is not an isolated case.What is the essence of having continental, regional and sub-regional blocs and groups when these associations cannot foster or promote inclusive growth, integration and free business and social interactions among members of the blocs?
Mrs. Kemi Badenoch, is the Conservative MP for North West Essex, and has been an MP continually since 8 June, 2017. She currently undertakes the role of Leader of HM Official Opposition. In addition, she is Leader of the Conservative Party. Meaning that some day, a Nigerian woman born January 1980 in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom, to Nigerian parents may become the Prime Minister.
But my dark continent of Africa where brothers attack their brothers and sisters despise their skin colour, Chidimma born in Soweto to an Igbo Nigerian father, and a Mozambican mother, cannot contest a beauty pageant as Miss South Africa.
Meanwhile, some mushheads in South Africa’s Home Affairs Department are still investigating Adetshina’s mother for alleged citizenship fraud, allegedly committed while Chidimma was a baby in 2001, all in a bid to establish their stupid reason to justify their xenophobic and contemptible behaviours.
It is, therefore, no surprise that Chidimma has not only announced her decision to quit pageantry, but as well relocating to Nigeria from her estranged country, South Africa.
Last year, BBC Africa Eye released a documentary, “Fear and Loathing in South Africa,” which investigated the rise of xenophobia in the country and activities of Operation Dudula, an anti-immigrant vigilante group, that was violently targeting and harassing foreign nationals.
Launched in 2021 in Soweto, with branches across the country, Operation Dudula was allegedly conceived by South African youth activists in order to address crime and drug usage in Gauteng province’s communities. However, the movement is better known for calling for mass deportation of undocumented migrants, blocking immigrants from accessing healthcare, raiding businesses belonging to foreign nationals, and forcing their shops to close. The isiZulu word Dudula means “to push out”, denoting pushing foreigners out of the country and back to their countries of origin.
The documentary exposed how entrenched xenophobia is within the Operation Dudula movement, whose members use language derogatory to foreign nationals and sing struggle songs signifying a readiness to go to war with them. “To tell you the truth, I hate foreigners,” a member of Operation Dudula had told BBC. “How I wish they could just pack and go and leave our country.”A message that came across loud and clear from the movement’s members is that, from their perspective, foreign nationals are the root cause of South Africa’s economic hardship and its challenges delivering needed services.
Make no mistake about it, they only couch it as an attack on foreigners but their prime targets are Nigerians. However, as the documentary and various studies highlight, scapegoating immigrants will not improve basic service provision, reduce crime, or address the triple burden of inequality, poverty, and unemployment. Neither will it help build their low self-esteem and confidence. Sadly, the South African political leaders stand accused of complicity because, in spite of the fact South Africa’s constitution protects both citizens and non-citizens, and guarantees everyone the right to freedom and security, including the right “to be free from all forms of violence from either public or private sources,” the authorities in South Africa have failed to reaffirm these values and openly speak out against xenophobia, seek accountability for attacks and abuses against foreign nationals, and promote inclusivity and social cohesion.
It was not until September 2019, when anger in Nigeria boiled over and young Nigerians took to the streets protesting South African aggression and unleashed attacks on South African interests in Nigeria that the frequency of the attacks reduced in South Africa.
It is a shame that African leaders would rather continue their slavish relationship with their colonial masters than promote regional integration and African renaissance. Were these attacks against British nationals and interests will the South African presidents all these years treat them with such levity and indifference?
