South African authorities have arrested Anabela Rungo, the mother of Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, over allegations of fraudulently obtaining a South African identity document.
The South African Department of Home Affairs confirmed the arrest, stating that Rungo, a Mozambican national, was apprehended at a hideout in Cape Town on Saturday. The operation was carried out jointly by Home Affairs investigators and the South African Police Service (SAPS), according to local news platform Sunday World.
Department spokesperson Siya Qoza revealed that Rungo had been declared persona non grata in September 2024 after officials found irregularities in her residency status.
“Investigators from the department, assisted by SAPS, detained Anabela Rungo at a property in Cape Town,” Qoza stated. “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.”
Authorities began scrutinizing Rungo’s status following controversy over her daughter’s participation in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant. Adetshina, who has Nigerian roots, had initially competed in Miss South Africa, but officials later ruled her ineligible because she was not a South African citizen. She subsequently withdrew from the competition and later entered Miss Universe Nigeria, where she won the title.
Adetshina went on to represent Nigeria at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico last November, finishing as the first runner-up.
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Despite being declared undesirable, Rungo allegedly continued living in South Africa using her Mozambican passport. Officials accuse her of deliberately violating immigration laws.
“It appears that Rungo has defied her ‘undesirable’ status through her Mozambican passport,” Qoza stated. “Investigations are ongoing into further potential misrepresentation and fraudulent conduct.”
At the time of her arrest, Rungo was reportedly with Adetshina’s minor child. South African authorities immediately involved the Department of Social Development and SAPS Child Protection Services to ensure the child’s safety.
Rungo will now be processed by the Department of Home Affairs for illegally remaining in South Africa before being handed over to the SAPS. She is also under investigation by the Hawks, a South African law enforcement unit that specializes in organized crime and corruption cases.
The case has raised further concerns about fraudulent immigration practices in South Africa, with authorities vowing to take stricter measures to prevent such violations in the future.