South Africa has been removed as the Country-in-Focus for the Puebla International Festival 2024 due to the alleged “victimization” of Nigerian-born Miss South Africa contestant, Chidimma Adetshina. The decision was announced by Festival Director Ikenna Okeh, who expressed deep regret over the move and confirmed the cancellation of invitations extended to South African guests.
Okeh explained that the decision stemmed from “distressing events in South Africa,” where state apparatuses and the cultural sector’s silence have fostered a climate of mob rule. This environment has reportedly led to the victimization of Adetshina, her family, and other immigrant communities in South Africa, thereby undermining the principles of justice, equality, and human dignity that the festival seeks to uphold.
The statement clarified that the decision does not reject South Africa’s rich literary heritage or its many inspiring writers, poets, and artists. Instead, it serves as a protest against the current state of affairs in the country, which contradicts the festival’s core values.
