Chidimma father ‘interview’ goes viral [video]
A clip of a Nigerian man hailed as “Chidimma Adetshina’s father” has gone viral on social media over claims that his children born in South Africa are qualified citizens.
However, the clip has been hailed as “fake news” and “propaganda” against the Miss SA finalist, who has suffered xenophobic attacks at the hands of fellow South Africans.
Chidimma – who is a South African citizen – was born to a Nigerian father and a SA mother of Mozambican descent.
The 23-year-old has faced backlash over her parentage, with many calling for the Miss SA pageant to disqualify her from the competition.
INTERVIEW: NIGERIAN MAN MISTAKENLY NAMED AS ‘CHIDIMMA’S FATHER’
On the X app, many users have posted a clip of a Nigerian man speaking about marrying a South African woman. The man claims his children have dual citizenship. However, he ultimately considers them Nigerian
However, the clip appears to have been taken out of context and incorrectly attributed to Chidimma Adetshina, whose father is also a Nigerian.
The clip emanates from a TikTok live, which was posted on the @bensteshshow account.
In the clip, the man says: “I’m a Nigerian, and my wife is a South African, and I spent ten years in South Africa.”
The man – who makes no mention of Chidimma – confirmed that his children were SA citizens and that they bore his surname.
He continued: “I met my wife in the UK, she is a South African. In 2010, during the World Cup, we decided that we were going to visit South Africa. At that time, we didnt have children. That was my first time entering South Africa…
“With a visitor visa, I got married to my wife in South Africa.”
When asked what nationality he considered his children, the man said: “It’s called dual citizen; they are both. They are Nigerian kids that have every single right that you have as a South African”.
@thebensteshshow #LIVEhighlights #TikTokLIVE #LIVE ♬ original sound – Ben Dlamini
‘FAKE NEWS’
While many X users have run wild with commentary that the man is Chidimma’s father, others are convinced that the man in the audio has no relation to the Miss SA finalist.
@Mosadiwannete: “This video going around is not Chidimma’s father… It’s just an interview of another Nigerian parent sharing his story. Please stop spreading it.”
@TembsyMajija: “This is NOT Chidimma’s father; this was a random Nigerian being interviewed. They also interviewed a Ghanaian before him. Let us not mislead each other”.
One X user even clapped back at Action SA leader Herman Mashaba, who posted a clip of the fake interview.
@Zamamsizazama:“Why are you eager to consume fake news pertaining to this young lady? Did you verify whether this interview pertained to her?”
The South African reached out to the Miss SA pageant for comment. None was received at the time of publishing.
MISS SA IS A SOUTH AFRICAN CITIZEN – HERE IS WHY
Last month, the Miss SA organisation confirmed that both Chidimma Adetshina and her mother were South African citizens.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuzu also confirmed via a 702 interview that at least one of an individual’s parents must be a South African to qualify for citizenship.
Alternatively, foreign parents who have permanent residency can also bear children with SA citizenship. The same rule applies to a South African who has adopted a foreign child.