Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie is facing backlash after questioning the nationality and eligibility of Miss South Africa finalist Chidimma Adesina.
Miss South Africa finalist Chidimma Vanessa Adesina, born at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a mother of Mozambican descent, has given off a “funny vibe” but Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie continues to endure criticism for his comments.
Trade union federation the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) and the EFF described McKenzie's rant as “xenophobic bullying”.
Mr McKenzie sparked a political storm this week when he questioned Ms Adetosina's lineage and eligibility to take part in beauty pageants.
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“There's no way we'll have a Nigerian competing in our Miss South Africa pageant,” he said on X.
Minister McKenzie's spokesperson, Cassiday Langata Jacobs, said yesterday that a ministerial investigation had been launched into Mr Adesina.
On whether McKenzie might change his stance on Adesina, Langata Jacobs said: “As a minister he listens to all sections of society. He explains what kind of person he is if he can ignore the people who voted for him and their questions on this issue.”
“Xenophobic bullying”
Saftu was appalled by what he described as “xenophobic bullying” and condemned the “vilification of Chidimma's citizenship”.
Saftu deputy general secretary Nontembeko Luzipo said McKenzie's “funny vibe” comments were irresponsible and egregious because, “rather than emboldening Chidimma, it has strengthened the bullies”.
“The Minister has unfortunately been complicit in the bullying of Ms Chidimma by encouraging online trolls who have questioned the validity of her citizenship and her eligibility to compete in the pageant and have hurled vicious messages at the Miss South Africa finalists.”
“Her participation in this contest is a demonstration that she is South African, because the non-negotiable eligibility criterion is citizenship.
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“The Miss SA organisation would not have accepted her in the first place if she wasn’t.
“Trolls questioning her nationality claim she was born in Mozambique to Nigerian parents. Even if the claim of foreign parents is true, it is unfortunately a false premise.”
“Children born in South Africa to foreign parents will be recognised as South African citizens when they reach the age of 18 as their citizenship is by birth,” Luzipo said.
EFF comes to its defense
“The EFF notes with deep concern the escalating Afrophobic attacks against Mr Adetosiina and firmly rejects them,” it said.
“These hateful comments are solely attributable to her Nigerian roots, even though she fulfilled all the requirements for the contest and is South African-born.”
“The pageant had exercised due diligence in verifying the qualifications of all contestants and there should never have been any doubt as to whether Ms Adesina was eligible to compete for the Miss South Africa title.”
“The intense scrutiny and harsh criticism of Mr Adetoshina demonstrates that a colonial mindset persists among many South Africans,” the EFF said.
The Adetosha unrest reflects how “residues of the divisive ideologies of apartheid and colonisation continue to plague our society”.
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“It is worrying that previous foreign-national contestants who are white or Asian, such as Vanessa Carreira, whose parents are Portuguese and Angolan, did not undergo the same rigorous scrutiny and highlights a clear example of Afrophobia,” the EFF said.
The party called on South Africans to “introspect and ask themselves why they are taking such a harsh stance against a 23-year-old black South African woman. Does this reflect deep-rooted prejudice?”
“Moreover, this anti-African sentiment is not limited to Miss South Africa contestants.
“South African-born EFF MP Naledi Chirwa faces similar hatred despite her citizenship, but DA MP Natasha Mazzone, a first-generation Italian South African, does not attract such ire.”
“This disparity highlights the pervasive Afrophobia in our society.
“In South Africa, people of European, Indian and Asian descent hold public office but do not face the same levels of abuse and scrutiny.”
“However, Africans born in South Africa are social pariahs in the country of their birth,” the EFF added. The Miss South Africa contest is due to begin on August 10.
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