Johannesburg – EFF President Julius Malema has entered the fray in the ongoing debate surrounding Miss South Africa’s citizenship, stating that a person’s birthplace determines their nationality, not their parents’ origin.
Malema’s comments come amid a growing petition calling for Miss South Africa, Chidima Vanessa Onwe, to be disqualified from participating in the Miss SA contest due to allegations that she is not a South African citizen, but rather a citizen of Nigeria or Mozambique.
The EFF leader argued that punishing individuals based on their parents’ nationality is unjust. “We cannot punish people on the basis of where their parents come from,” Malema said.
Malema emphasized that Onwe’s citizenship should be determined by her birthplace, not her parents’ roots. “If she was born here, she’s South African. It doesn’t matter where her parents are from.”
The EFF President also expressed confidence in the Miss South Africa organization, suggesting that they would have conducted thorough background checks before allowing Onwe to participate. “I haven’t followed the debate, but I’m sure Miss South Africa would have done the necessary due diligence,” Malema said.
