Anabela Rungo, the mother of Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has been apprehended by South African authorities.
TheNewsGuru understands that the 23-year-old’s mother was arrested over allegations of fraudulently obtaining a South African identity document.
Recall, Adetshina, who was born in Soweto, South Africa, to a Nigerian father and Mozambican mother, faced criticism during her Miss South Africa contestant announcement.
This comes after the South African Department of Home Affairs alleged that her mother committed fraud and identity theft.
However, Adetshina maintained that she did not steal anyone’s identity and is avoiding commenting on the matter until all the facts are revealed.
According to local news platform, Sunday World, 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 also indicted that the Department spokesperson Siya Qoza had declared Rungo, 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.
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.