Chidinma Adetshina decided to withdraw from the Miss South Africa 2024 competition after a report suggested that her mother committed fraud and identity theft when registering her birth.

Chidinma faced questions about her eligibility to contest in the pageant due to concerns about her citizenship.

In her Instagram press statement, she said, 'I have made the difficult decision to withdraw myself from the competition for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I.

'On Thursday, August 8, 2024, Chidinma wrote that being part of the Miss South Africa competition had been a good journey for her.

She mentioned that people had supported her since she started the journey, but she needed to make the decision to withdraw from the contest.

'To be part of the Miss South Africa 2024 competition has been an amazing journey.

After much careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw myself from the competition for the safety and wellbeing of my family and I,' she said in her post.

'With the support of the Miss South Africa organization, I am leaving with a heart full of gratitude for this amazing experience.

'The article contains content provided by Instagram.

Permission is requested before any content is loaded, as cookies and other technologies may be used.

You may want to read Instagram's terms before accepting.

To view this content, choose 'accept and continue'.

Chidinma was among the 10 women who were to participate in the competition held in the capital, Pretoria, this Saturday.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, on Monday, August 5, 2024, the event organizers sent a request to the department to verify the citizenship of one contestant, Chidinma Adetshina.

The Department of Home Affairs stated that there were ongoing discussions with all stakeholders, including Adetshina's mother.

The Miss South Africa 2024 pageant will be the 66th edition of the event, and the grand finale will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2024, in Pretoria.

According to the Miss South Africa website, eligible contestants must be South African citizens and have a valid South African passport.

The 2023 winner of the beauty contest, Natasha Joubert of Gauteng, will crown her successor at the end of the program, and the winner will represent South Africa at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant in Mexico.