Singer Tyla has spoken out in support of Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina, who now goes by the name Chi-Chi. So, I’ll refer to her as Chi-Chi from here on out. Tyla’s comments came after Chi-Chi decided to step down from the Miss South Africa competition because of bullying and harassment over her ethnicity. Even though Chi-Chi was raised in South Africa, with parents from Nigeria and Mozambique, many South Africans didn’t feel she was “South African enough” to compete. I stumbled upon this story on X, and it really caught my attention—it turned out to be a much bigger and more controversial issue than I initially thought.
In the end, Chi-Chi withdrew from the competition, and Tyla shared her disappointment, saying, “I wish you all the best, girl. Kill it! I will always stand with South Africa. Regardless of the opinions, she was bullied, and that’s what I don’t stand for.” Huge respect to Tyla for speaking up. I know she’s catching a lot of heat from people in her country who disagree with her, and her mentions have been blowing up.
One person even said, “One Grammy Award, and you already think your voice matters? Did you even congratulate our athletes yesterday? Don’t get too excited and spoil your brand. You were doing fine, but now you’ve lost it. Don’t you dare! Sometimes it’s better to stay silent, especially for a global superstar like you.”
Someone commented, “It’s like when God made some South Africans, He forgot to give them common sense and decided to take a nap instead. Tyla, you really should’ve kept quiet. Now we need a proper apology, both in writing and live. Seriously, just shut the f*** up! We’re ready to cancel you, Tyla. You’re way too loud. Are those Grammy Awards messing with your head? Ayo was right; celebrities can be clueless. Just stick to singing and looking pretty, Tyla. Stay out of this. You claim to support South Africa, but where were you when our athletes brought home Olympic medals? Did you even congratulate them? Is Chidimma more important to you? Stop twerking for a second and think. Do you even realize how much we defended you against Nigerians and Americans, and this is how you thank us? From now on, you’re Nigerian in our eyes.”
Although Tyla had a supporter, most people were tearing her apart online. But honestly, I respect Tyla for standing up for Chi-Chi. She saw something wrong and spoke out, even if it wasn’t the popular thing to do. That takes courage.
For those who aren’t familiar with the situation: Chidimma, or Chi-Chi, is a 23-year-old law student and model who made it to the Miss South Africa finals. At first, people were all for her, but then they found out her parents are Nigerian and Mozambican, and suddenly, her South African identity was questioned. She wasn’t seen as ‘South African enough’ because her parents weren’t from here. This issue has stirred up a lot of tension, especially since there’s already a lot of unease about the growing number of migrants from other African countries, particularly those coming in illegally. This has only added fuel to the fire of xenophobia, or what some call ‘afrophobia.’”
It’s really tough hearing about the discrimination against other African migrants, but I do understand why some South Africans feel the way they do. The rise in illegal immigration has hit them financially, leading to more crime, scams, and identity theft—it’s been a lot to handle. But it’s hard not to notice that the anger seems to be more directed at other Africans, while people from other races don’t seem to get the same kind of backlash. South Africa has a complicated history when it comes to race. In the past, white immigrants were treated better than black South Africans, and even other groups like South Asians, Indians, and colored people (mixed-race individuals) were given better treatment than black South Africans. So, given this history of anti-blackness, it’s not surprising to think it’s playing a role in what’s happening with Chi-Chi.
Take this for example—there was another Miss South Africa contestant named Sher Wang. She’s of Asian descent, and while I’m not exactly sure whether she was born in South Africa or moved there with her family and later became a citizen, she’s auditioned for Miss South Africa a few times. When she posted her audition video, people were really supportive, saying things like, “Welcome back, Queen! Good luck! Oh, Sher’s back, baby! Love to see it! Let’s go; it’s about to go down!” and “Yay, yay, yay! Let’s go, Sher! I’m all for inclusion, especially since we rarely see Asian South Africans competing, but beyond that, her advocacy is amazing—age and maturity really show. You go, Queen! You got this, Sher!”
It’s clear she had a lot of support, and that’s great. But what really stood out to me was the difference in how people treated Sher versus Chi-Chi. As soon as people started digging into Chi-Chi’s background, they began questioning her citizenship. Even before that, they criticized her just because her parents were from Nigeria and Mozambique, saying she wasn’t “South African enough.” But they didn’t seem to have the same concerns about Sher, did they?
Some of the comments Chi-Chi received were pretty harsh: “It seems like every foreigner is quick to yell ‘afrophobia’ when it suits them. Yes, she was born here, but come on, Miss South Africa should be for actual South Africans, not people who found loopholes to get citizenship. What really bothers me is that we don’t do this to them. It’s like having a guest in your house who’s trying to take over. This isn’t the first time they’ve gone to other countries and represented them instead of their own. But guys, she doesn’t represent South Africa, and that’s the real problem. True patriots, if she wins, we need to shut the country down! She can’t be the face of our Republic. It’s just not fair that she’s stolen the spotlight from the other 12 contestants with all this negative attention. Even though it’s unfair to the others, you’re not my Miss South Africa. Go try in Nigeria; we don’t want her. They’re really tearing you apart, Miss. Whether you win or lose, true South Africans reject you. Go represent Nigeria; you’re not one of us. Go to Nigeria! This girl isn’t South African and took the place of a beautiful, intelligent South African girl. The judges really messed up because they were just looking for controversy. Why are you forcing her on us when we’ve made it clear we don’t want her to represent us? Why? We’re not on board with this. I mean, you can’t even keep your own life together. Your reputation is already bad. I can’t believe that at your young age, you’re already divorced with a child. Stop forcing it. You can never be a great representative for us South Africans.”
Ouch, right?
Now, I don’t want to make it seem like all South Africans are mean or anything like that. I totally understand there’s a big issue with illegal immigration in their country. And I get that some African migrants are taking jobs and opportunities away from Black South African citizens, which isn’t fair at all. Their frustration is completely valid, so I don’t blame them for speaking out. Maybe the way they’re expressing it is a bit harsh, but their feelings aren’t wrong. I can’t just brush off their perspective. But it is kind of strange that they don’t seem to have the same strong reactions to people from other races. At least, it doesn’t look that way. So yeah, it does seem a little off. And honestly, I feel really bad for Chi-Chi. She didn’t deserve to be treated like that. She was targeted, bullied, and harassed so much that people started digging into her family background. And that’s what led to her citizenship being questioned even more.
So, it turns out the government actually investigated her citizenship and found out that her mom might have committed fraud and identity theft to get her citizenship in South Africa. Chi-Chi was just a baby when this all happened, so it’s definitely not her fault. But her mom? Yeah, she was involved in some serious stuff! She took another woman’s identity, and that poor South African woman couldn’t even register her own child because of it. So, Chi-Chi’s mom basically scammed her way into the country, and now everything is blowing up. Chi-Chi had to pull out of the competition because all these family secrets are coming out, and it’s just making things worse. Here’s what she said in her statement:
“I want to start by thanking everyone who’s supported me throughout my Miss South Africa journey. I’m so grateful for all the love I’ve received. Being part of Miss South Africa 2024 has been an incredible experience. But after a lot of thought, I’ve made the tough decision to withdraw from the competition for the safety and well-being of my family and me. With the support of the Miss South Africa organization, I’m leaving with a heart full of gratitude. I want to wish my fellow finalists all the best for the rest of the competition. Whoever wins will represent us all.”
She also posted on Instagram, saying, “Today’s the day—Miss South Africa 2024—a new queen will be crowned. Good luck to all the ladies, and I can’t wait to see you beauties walk that stage.”
Honestly, she handled this with such grace. Really, really classy. Chi-Chi even got an offer to compete in the Miss Nigeria Universe pageant, and I think she should consider it if she still wants to pursue the beauty competition scene. But, to be honest, this whole situation has made her name so big that she could go even further. She could be a global model, maybe even the face of some major brands. Her future is looking really bright, and I’m rooting for her.
So, what do you all think about this whole situation? Let me know in the comments below. And don’t forget to like, comment