Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina pulls out of contest due to outrage over her nationality

Nigerian-born finalist in the Miss South Africa competition, Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina has announced her withdrawal from the pageant, citing concerns for her safety and the well-being of her family.

In a statement posted on her Instagram page on Thursday, Chidimma expressed gratitude for the support she received during her journey in the competition. However, she stated that after careful consideration, she decided to withdraw due to safety concerns.

Her withdrawal came a day after a preliminary investigation by the home affairs department found that her mother may have committed "identity theft" to become a South African national.

Ms Adetshina, a 23-year-old law student said she was born in Soweto, a township next to Johannesburg, and grew up in Cape Town. She said her father was Nigerian and her mother was a South African of Mozambican descent.

For weeks, Chidimma’s participation in the competition had been met with controversy, with some South Africans objecting to her involvement due to her Nigerian heritage, despite being born in South Africa and meeting all competition requirements.

As the row escalated, the organisers of the Miss South Africa pageant asked the home affairs department to conduct an investigation ahead of the event on Saturday.

In a statement on Wednesday, the department said it had so far found that the identity of an "innocent" South African mother "may have been stolen" by Ms Adetshina's mother.

However, Ms Adetshina "could not have participated in the alleged unlawful actions of her mother as she was an infant at the time", the department said.

It added that it was conducting further investigations with the aim of pressing criminal charges, while also obtaining legal advice "on the implications of the alleged fraudulent activity on Adetshina's citizenship status".

She said she was grateful "for all the love and support" she had received, and wished the remaining contestants the best.

"Whoever wears the crown, represents us all," Ms Adetshina added.

Her withdrawal brings an end to her journey in the competition, amidst a backdrop of controversy and debate.