What does it mean to be South African?

This is a question that has been haunting me in the wake of xenophobic – should we say afrophobic – online abuse directed at Miss South Africa hopeful Chidimma Adetshina.

Despite being born in South Africa to a South African mother, her Nigerian surname has provoked a backlash that questions her right to represent South Africa in a beauty pageant.

This reaction not only tarnishes our reputation as the “rainbow nation” but also challenges the very essence of what it means to be South African.

South Africa has always been a melting pot of nationalities.

As a nation, we are like a chakalaka, a biryani, or a potjie that comes together and mixes into a flavourful bowl of diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities.

The Freedom Charter, a cornerstone of our democracy, unequivocally states that “South Africa belongs to all who live in it”.

There is a reason the writers of the Freedom Charter did not say “South Africa belongs to all who were born it” as this foundational principle is a call to embrace our diversity and reject narrow-minded nationalism.

The online vitriol directed at Adetshina exposes a disturbing vein of xenophobia and a regressive view of national identity.

The comments online have been ugly and those who have spewed the hate should hang their heads in shame as such comments reveal a dangerous nationalistic undertone that threatens our social cohesion.

Such sentiments are not only misguided but also perilous in an increasingly globalised world where South Africans live and work across the globe.

We expect respect and decency abroad; we must offer the same at home.

South Africans are known for their resilience, their spirit of Ubuntu, and their capacity for reconciliation.

Yet, the current wave of Afrophobic comments suggests a troubling deviation from these values.

Chidimma Adetshina’s candidacy for Miss SA challenges us to redefine our national identity.

It forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about our prejudices and to ask, “What makes someone South African?”

Is it their surname, their skin colour, or their heritage?

Or is it their commitment to this nation, their participation in its culture, and their embodiment of its values?

As a nation, we must strive to live up to the ideals enshrined in our Constitution and the Freedom Charter.

We must reject the divisive rhetoric that undermines our unity and instead celebrate the rich diversity that makes us unique.

The true test of our national character lies in our ability to embrace all who call South Africa home, regardless of their surname or heritage.

In supporting Adetshina, we are not just rooting for a beauty queen; we are affirming our commitment to a South Africa that belongs to all who live in it.

Her success would be a litmus test for how far we have come in redefining what it means to be South African.

We must now rise to the occasion and prove that we are, indeed, the rainbow nation.

IOL OPINION