South African authorities have arrested Anabela Rungo, the mother of Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina, on charges of fraudulently obtaining a South African identity document.
The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that Rungo, a Mozambican national, was arrested at a hideout in Cape Town on Saturday during a joint operation between Home Affairs investigators and the South African Police Service, according to local news platform Sunday World.
Department spokesperson Siya Qoza stated that Rungo 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 residency status came under scrutiny following the controversy surrounding her daughter’s participation in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant. It was later revealed that Adetshina was ineligible to compete, as she was not a South African citizen.
At the time of her arrest, Rungo was reportedly with Adetshina’s minor child, leading authorities to involve the Department of Social Development and SAPS Child Protection Services to ensure the child’s safety and well-being.
Siya Qoza accused Rungo of intentionally violating the country’s immigration laws, despite being declared undesirable.
“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.
Adetshina, of Nigerian origin, withdrew from the Miss South Africa pageant and went on to compete in Miss Universe Nigeria, where she was crowned the winner after her immigration status was revealed.
She later finished as the first runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico last November.
