Saude-Darbandi argues that her firms role was never to win favour but to ensure consistent application of the law.
Former Miss SA finalist Chidimma Adetshina. Photo: Instagram
Stefanie de Saude-Darbandi of De Saude Darbandi Attorneys, the law firm representing Chidimma Adetshina in her fight against deportation, has defended its decision.
They insist that public opinion should not determine whether someone receives fair legal representation.
“Not everyone likes Chidimma, but not everyone has to. Behind every headline is a real person, a real family and real legal issues that deserve to be heard fairly,” said Saude-Darbandi on social media amid the trial.
Saude-Darbandi’s utterances follow Adetshina’s challenging deportation after she allegedly illegally entered the country in June.
Adetshina’s lawyer says fairness is the point
Saude-Darbandi argues that her firm’s role was never to win favour but to ensure consistent application of the law.
“Our role has never been to win a popularity contest. It is to ensure that the law is applied fairly, consistently and constitutionally to everyone,” she said.
She added that this principle was non-negotiable: “That’s what the rule of law requires.”
The statement follows Adetshina’s immigration case continuing before the Cape Town Regional Court.
The case has drawn much scrutiny from the public.
A TikTok user raised questions about the firm’s history with Adetshina’s case, noting that De Saude Darbandi had published an article in November 2024 outlining a possible legal route through which she could reclaim her revoked citizenship, and had since gone on to represent her mother as well.
De Saude-Darbandi is also an independent member of the Immigration Advisory Board (IAB).
According to the same user, she had recently criticised the Department of Home Affairs’ immigration enforcement deadline before taking up Adetshina’s case without charge.
“This no longer appears to be detached commentary from an immigration expert,” the user said, questioning whether publicity or precedent-setting was driving the firm’s involvement.
Public reaction divided
Reaction to the firm’s involvement has been mixed.
One commentator suggested the Saude-Darbandi’s willingness to act against the same government department she advises spoke to the strength of Adetshina’s case, saying, “If she’s willing to represent Chidimma Adetshina against that same government, perhaps she believes Chidimma has legal rights worth defending.”
Another argued that Adetshina should not bear responsibility for any issues with her documentation, saying that if wrongdoing occurred, it belonged to her parents and not to her.
Case background
According to News24, the Department of Home Affairs has told the Cape Town Regional Court that Adetshina’s 2024 trip to Nigeria for the Miss Universe Nigeria pageant demonstrated she had another country to return to, an argument she disputes by maintaining she has no ties to Nigeria.
The department also told the court that Adetshina and her child had obtained Nigerian passports to advance her modelling career, and that deportation notices were sent to her via WhatsApp before her alleged fraudulent birth registration was discovered.
Adetshina was declared a prohibited person after it was alleged that her mother had used the stolen identity of a South African citizen to register her.
Despite this, Adetshina returned to South Africa, allegedly entering the country illegally via the Lebombo border post on the Mozambique border.
The case was postponed to 19 August.
