Naledi Chirwa takes on Gayton McKenzie over 'Nigerian' Miss SA contestant

The EFF’s Naledi Chirwa, who is no stranger to receiving Afrophobic backlash because of her surname, which has rich Malawian history, has criticised sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie’s remarks on the debate surrounding Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina's eligibility to compete for the title. 

Adetshina has been subjected to scrutiny on social media due to her bloodline. She is a South African, born to a Nigerian father and a mother of Mozambican descent. 

The debate intensified this week after a video of Adetshina with people, some dressed in Nigerian traditional clothing and celebrating her success in the competition, surfaced online.

Speaking on the matter, McKenzie said: “We truly cannot have Nigerians compete in our Miss SA competition. I want to get all (the) facts before I comment but it gives funny vibes already.”

Chirwa did not take McKenzie’s remarks lightly and criticised him on social media. 

“You [McKenzie] don’t respect South African laws. You are not ‘patriotic’ at all. You don’t know the South African constitution. You don’t respect the South African governance office at (the) executive level. You do not know South African history,” Chirwa said in response to McKenzie’s post. 

Chirwa said McKenzie’s response to the debate about Adetshina insinuated he did not take into consideration her holistic identity and only spoke about her Nigerian bloodline.

“It is always black women that you target and bully. Everybody else gets a pass. White men get a pass. White women get a pass. Black men get a pass. You hate black women.

“Black women’s history matters. Our lineage matters. The children we birth are ours too.”

Chirwa said McKenzie was mum when home affairs minister Leon Schreiber trended on social media with people claiming he was born in Zimbabwe. McKenzie, after days of the topic topping social media charts, addressed the issue saying Schreiber was not born in Zimbabwe. 

“You have all the time to take on a black South African woman but hide behind a*s when questioned about the white minister of home affairs [Schreiber’s nationality]. Hate weak men.”

When the debate was turned on Chirwa, with people questioning her nationality, she did not shy away.

“I am [South African]. There’s nothing you can do or say to change it. Deal with your feelings regarding my surname the same way you have taught yourself to be OK with [surnames such as] Smith, Naidoo, Ming and so on,” she said.

“My father was born to a Sotho woman. My mother is a Xhosa woman. I know both of those languages. I unfortunately cannot heal you from patriarchal oppression. The women who existed before me matter too.” 

The debate continues.

TimesLIVE