Finalist Chidimma Adetshina's participation reveals a seam of xenophobia among some in South Africa.
When law student Chidimma Adetshina clinched a coveted spot as a Miss South Africa finalist, her triumph unleashed a vicious backlash, unearthing a seam of xenophobia that lies close to the surface for some in the country.
However, the “go-home” sentiment, and even harsher attacks, flooded social media. There was also a petition demanding her removal from the high-profile televised competition that amassed more than 14,000 signatures before it was taken down. Ms Adetshina declined a BBC request for an interview but she did tell the Sowetan Live news site that the online hate she was facing made her think twice about competing.Ms Adetshina added that the whole situation felt like "black-on-black hate", highlighting a particular strain of xenophobia in South Africa known as "afrophobia", which targets other Africans.
The 28-year-old was the target of the same vitriol heaped on Ms Adetshina because her father is Ugandan. Dr Shange added that South Africans had internalised oppressive racist reasoning such as colourism, where lighter skin tones are perceived as better. There is a “perception of outsiders as competitors for scarce jobs, resources, living space and services”, Michael Morris, head of media at the South African Institute of Race Relations, told the BBC.
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