South Africans on social media are calling out the “hypocrisy” of those who are celebrating Botswana Olympic sprinter Letsile Tebogo after he won gold in the 200m race on Thursday, 8 August, while previously criticizing Miss SA finalist Chidimma Adetshina.
Chidimma, a 23-year-old finalist, recently announced her decision to withdraw from the Miss SA competition, citing concerns for her safety and well-being.
Over the past few weeks, she has faced intense scrutiny over her African heritage, which includes a Nigerian father and an alleged Mozambican mother.
As the Miss SA finale approaches on Saturday, 10 August, at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria, the contrasting treatment of Chidimma and Tebogo has sparked a heated debate.
Chidimma Adetshina’s withdrawal came after enduring weeks of xenophobic and Afrophobic comments on social media, where she was labeled a “Nigerian” and faced harsh criticism for her African parentage.
The situation escalated when Minister of Home Affairs Leon Schreiber revealed a preliminary investigation into allegations that her mother may have committed fraud and identity theft when registering Chidimma’s birth.
In stark contrast, just hours after Chidimma’s announcement, Letsile Tebogo of Botswana won gold in the men’s 200m race at the Olympics.
Tebogo’s victory was widely celebrated on social media, with many South Africans cheering for their fellow “African.”
Congrats Tebogo! You made the Tswana people, including those living in South Africa proud.👏
— P_MAX (@DDT_PM) August 8, 2024
Ironically, some of the same voices that condemned Chidimma for not being “South African enough” were quick to embrace Tebogo’s success, even claiming a connection through “Tswana” heritage.
This glaring contradiction has led to widespread criticism, with social media users calling out the double standards in how South Africans view and treat people from other African countries.
South Africans are hypocrites. They’re quick to show support for Botswana’s Tebogo because of his win but couldn’t let Chidimma complete her #MissSA2024 run. It’s too disgusting. #Olympics pic.twitter.com/5OsgQcFXmq
— AngryBird (@angrybird_c) August 9, 2024