South Africa to cancel IDs of Chidimma Adetshina and her mother

The Home Affairs Department says it will cancel the identity and travel documents of former Miss South Africa contestant, Chidimma Adetshina, and her Mozambican-born mother.

They are also facing probable fraud charges.

On Tuesday, the department informed Parliament's portfolio committee that its completed investigation was handed to the Hawks.

Adetshina's case reached Parliament in August when the public questioned her heritage and nationality after she became a finalist in the Miss SA pageant.

Home Affairs Director General Tommy Makhode said the Adetshinas did not respond to Monday's deadline to make representations as to why they should keep their South African national documents.

Makhode said officials visited a house registered to Adetshina to track down her mother.

The department believes she's still in South Africa.

But it can't explain how she may have travelled to Nigeria last month to support her daughter at Miss Universe Nigeria pageant which she won.

The department says photographs taken at the event and posted on social media appear to confirm Adetshina's mother left South Africa during the investigation. Nothing has been said of her Nigerian-born father.

"We couldn't find a trace of the passport that she has been using to come to South Africa from Mozambique on the movement to Nigeria," said the acting Deputy Director-General for immigration, Albert Matsaung.

Meanwhile, Monday's social media posts show Adetshina was en route to Mexico from the US where she's been participating in the Miss Universe pageant.