A civic movement in South Africa is calling for urgent government investigations into the immigration status of Solomon Ogbonna Eziko, a Nigerian national recently installed as a traditional leader of the Igbo community in KuGompo City in the Eastern Cape.
It is also demanding clarity on the citizenship status of former Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina and her mother, Anabela Rungo, amid ongoing legal and immigration-related proceedings.
The Progressive Forces of South Africa has launched a nationwide petition on Change.org, urging the executive and legislature to intervene over what it describes as serious concerns relating to immigration compliance, public safety, and diplomatic relations involving Nigerian nationals in the country.
The movement says Eziko’s installation as a traditional leader raises legal and governance questions, particularly under South Africa’s Immigration Act 13 of 2002, which regulates the entry and residence of foreign nationals. It also cites possible implications under the Traditional and Khoi-San Leadership Act 3 of 2019, which governs the recognition of traditional leadership structures.
According to the group, the matter has sparked wider debate over sovereignty and constitutional order, with critics questioning the legitimacy of what they describe as a “parallel monarchy” established on South African soil.
The petition further calls on the Department of Home Affairs to disclose the current status and whereabouts of Adetshina, as well as provide updates on legal proceedings involving her mother, who is facing multiple charges related to alleged identity fraud and immigration violations.
Rungo was arrested in Cape Town in February 2025 for allegedly remaining in the country illegally after her documents were cancelled. She has been granted bail of R10,000 and is expected to return to the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on 17 April 2026.
The National Prosecuting Authority in the Western Cape confirmed that the matter has been postponed to allow the State to provide the defence with copies of the docket.
The civic movement is also calling for a wider national audit of the legal status of Nigerian nationals in South Africa, arguing that such a review should be conducted within the framework of the Immigration Act, the Refugees Act, the Citizenship Act and the Employment Services Act.
It further wants the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to assess the effectiveness of the Nigerian Embassy in South Africa in addressing community tensions and transnational crime concerns, suggesting that diplomatic action could be considered if cooperation is deemed inadequate.
The petition is anchored in provisions of the South African Constitution, including sections on equality before the law, human dignity and national sovereignty, with the group insisting that government must act within the law while safeguarding social cohesion.
At the time of publication, the Department of Home Affairs had not responded to requests for comment.
The Nigerian Deputy Acting High Commissioner in South Africa has issued an apology to traditional leaders in the Eastern Cape over the controversy and reaffirmed the embassy’s respect for South Africa’s laws, customs and traditional leadership structures.
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