Following the victimization of Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina, Miss South Africa 2024 finalist who announced her termination at the ongoing Miss South Africa Pageant after series of hateful campaigns by the South Africans.
Puebla International Literature Festival has rescinded an invitation given to South Africa as the “Country-In-Focus” designation in the forthcoming event slated to hold in Mexico.
Daily9jaInfo reports that Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina, who was born and raised in South Africa by Igbo Nigerian father and Mozambican mother, faced several hateful campaigns by South Africans who questioned her qualifications and her nationality.
A change.org page was created by South Africans asking the organizers to drop Chidimma as one of the participants.
Considering the hateful campaigns and safety of her family, Chidimma announced her withdrawal from the competition and thanked the organizers.
I would like to start off by thanking everyone who has stood beside me right from the start of my Miss South Africa journey. I’m really grateful for all the love and support I have been shown.
Being part of the Miss South Africa 2024 competition has been an amazing journey however, 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. With the support of the Miss South Africa Organisation, I leave with a heart full of gratitude for this amazing experience.
However, reacting over the victimization of Chidimma Vanessa, South Africa’s Country-In-Focus designation has been withdrawn by Puebla International Literature Festival in Mexico.
The withdrawal of the invitation of South African guests and panelists in the event was made known via an official statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), by the organization.
In a statement signed by Ikenna Okeh,
Festival Director, posted on its X official page, the organization said it made this decision over the victimization of Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina during her participation in Miss South Africa.
The statement reads;
We regret to announce the decision to rescind South Africa’s designation as the Country-in-Focus for this year’s festival, and to also rescind the invitation of our South African guests. This decision has been made after careful consideration of recent developments that have deeply troubled the African community.
It is with a sense of sadness that we acknowledge the distressing events in South Africa, where the apparatuses of the state, coupled with the troubling silence of many within the cultural sphere, have enabled a climate of mob rule.
This has led to the victimization of Chidimma Adetshina, her family, and members of immigrant communities in South Africa, thus undermining the very principles of justice, equality, and human dignity that literature seeks to uphold.
The Puebla International Literature Festival aims to position itself as a beacon for the celebration of diverse voices, cultures, and ideas. We believe that literature has the power to challenge the status quo, to speak to authority, and to give a voice to the voiceless. However, we cannot, in good conscience, honour a country as a focal point of our celebration when it is currently embroiled in such profound injustices as has been currently gathering momentum following the Miss South Africa beauty pageantry.
Our decision is not a rejection of the rich literary heritage and the many courageous writers, poets, and artists of South Africa who continue to inspire the world. Instead, it is a statement against the current state of affairs that contradicts the values we hold
dear. We stand in solidarity with those who are fighting for justice, both within South Africa and across the globe.We will continue to support and provide platforms for South African writers and
thinkers who are working towards positive change. However, we believe it is crucial to send a clear message that cultural recognition cannot be divorced from ethical responsibility.The Puebla International Literature Festival remains committed to fostering dialogue, understanding, and solidarity among nations. We invite the global literary community to join us in this endeavor as we reflect on the role of literature in confronting the challenges of our time.
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