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 Department of Home Affairs confirmed that Rungo, a Mozambican national, was apprehended at a hideout in Cape Town on Saturday in a joint operation by Home Affairs investigators and the South African Police Service reports local news platform, Sunday World.
Department spokesperson Siya Qoza was reported to have stated that Rungo had been declared persona non grata in September 2024 after officials uncovered 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 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 contest, as she was not a South African citizen.
At the time of her arrest, Rungo was reportedly with Adetshina’s minor child, prompting the authorities to engage the Department of Social Development and SAPS Child Protection Services to ensure the child’s welfare.
Qoza accused Rungo of deliberately defying 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.
The PUNCH reports that Adetshina with Nigerian origin, withdrew from the Miss SA pageant and later contested in Miss Universe Nigeria, where she emerged as the winner following the revelation of her immigration status.
She would later finish first runner up at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico last November.
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