By Victoria O\u2019Regan<\/p>\n
Debates about Sowetan-born, former Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina\u2019s nationality have prompted questions about South African citizenship. What does it mean to be South African in terms of the law?<\/p>\n
Citizenship, in the legal sense, means being recognised by a country\u2019s laws as a member of that country. But beyond the legalities, there is the subjective aspect of citizenship \u2014 the profound sense of belonging and identity.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a legal side of it, in terms of which you have certain benefits, rights, privileges and obligations. And then of course it becomes subjective, and that varies from person to person,\u201d immigration lawyer Stefanie de Saude Darbandi told Daily Maverick.<\/p>\n
Debates about Sowetan-born, former Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina\u2019s nationality have prompted questions about South African citizenship; how one gains it and how one may lose it.<\/p>\n
There are two fundamental pieces of legislation which define the criteria for citizenship in South Africa. The South African Citizenship Act 88 of 1995 outlines the general framework for citizenship in the country and the South African Citizenship Amendment Act 17 of 2010, which came into force on 1 January 2013, changed certain of the provisions.<\/p>\n
The South African Citizenship Act provides for three main forms of citizenship: citizenship by birth, citizenship by descent and citizenship by naturalisation.<\/p>\n