Anabela Rungo, the mother of Chidimma Adetshina, who is representing Nigeria in the Miss Universe pageant, has been detained by the Department of Home Affairs in South Africa on allegations of identity fraud.
According to Siya Qoza, the spokesperson for the Department, Rungo was apprehended on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at a property in Cape Town.
The arrest follows the withdrawal of Rungo’s South African documentation in September 2024, after it was discovered that her documents had been fraudulently obtained. The investigation began when Rungo’s child, Chidinma, enrolled to represent South Africa in the Most Beautiful Girl Pageant.
Despite being declared “undesirable” and ineligible to reside in South Africa, Rungo allegedly continued to live in the country using her Mozambican passport.
During the arrest, investigators found Rungo’s underage child living with her. The Department of Home Affairs is collaborating with the Department of Social Development and the South African Police Service (SAPS) Child Protection Unit to ensure the child’s welfare is safeguarded.
Rungo is set to be handed over to the SAPS for further investigation, as she is also under investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
The Department of Home Affairs has stated that they will provide further updates on the case as it unfolds.
