South African authorities have reportedly arrested Anabela Rungo, the mother of Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, on charges of fraudulently acquiring a South African identity document.
According to PUNCH, the Department of Home Affairs confirmed Rungo’s arrest at a hideout in Cape Town on Saturday, following a joint operation by Home Affairs investigators and the South African Police Service, according to local news outlet Sunday World.
Department spokesperson Siya Qoza stated that Rungo, a Mozambican national, had been declared persona non grata in September 2024 after officials discovered irregularities in her residency status.
“Investigators from the department, assisted by SAPS, detained Anabela Rungo at a property in Cape Town. The Department withdrew Rungo’s South African documentation in September 2024 after finding that it had been fraudulently obtained, rendering her ineligible to continue residing in South Africa,” Qoza said.
Rungo’s legal status came under intense scrutiny after the controversy surrounding her daughter’s participation in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant.
It was later revealed that Adetshina was not eligible to compete as she did not hold South African citizenship. When Rungo was arrested, she was reportedly accompanied by Adetshina’s minor child. In response, authorities reached out to the Department of Social Development and SAPS Child Protection Services to ensure the child’s safety and care.
Qoza criticised Rungo for intentionally disregarding South Africa’s immigration laws, despite being previously declared undesirable in the country.
“It appears that Rungo has defied her ‘undesirable’ status through her Mozambican passport. Investigations are ongoing into further potential misrepresentation and fraudulent conduct.
“After being processed by Home Affairs over her illegal continued residence in South Africa, she will be handed over to SAPS, as she is also the subject of an ongoing Hawks investigation,” he added.
Chidimma Adetshina, originally from Nigeria, withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant and later competed in Miss Universe Nigeria, where she won the title after the revelation of her immigration status. She went on to finish as the first runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico last November.
