“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,” Adetshina, 23, wrote on Instagram.
Adetshina, a law student, has been the subject of vicious, xenophobic attacks on social media since she was announced as a finalist in July, with many — including cabinet ministers — questioning her credentials because of her Nigerian descent.
Adetshina has previously told local media she was born in Soweto to a Nigerian father and a South African mother of Mozambican descent.
The ruckus led to an investigation into her citizenship following a request from the pageant’s organisers.
On Wednesday, home affairs minister Leon Schreiber said the investigation uncovered “prima facie indications” that Adetshina’s mother might have committed fraud and stolen the identity of a South African woman.
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