South African authorities have explained why they arrested and detained Anabela Rungo, the mother of Chidimma Adetshina, the current Miss Universe Africa and Oceania.
The Department of Home Affairs said Rungo was arrested because she continued living in South Africa after her documents were canceled in September 2024. Officials said she got her South African identity documents through fraud.
Rungo was taken into custody in Cape Town over the weekend during a joint operation by Home Affairs investigators and the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Home Affairs spokesperson, Siya Qoza, said Rungo was officially declared “undesirable” in September 2024 when authorities discovered issues with her residency documents.
“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.
He added that Rungo ignored the government’s decision and continued staying in the country using 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 said.
Reports suggest that Rungo may be deported from South Africa soon.
Speaking to eNCA, immigration lawyer Ashraf Essop explained that when a person’s documents become invalid, they have two choices: “You either leave the country on your own, or be detained and deported.”
Essop also said the exact reasons why Rungo’s documents were canceled in 2024 remain unclear.
He added that if she had surrendered her papers earlier, authorities could have arranged her departure without detention.
Rungo’s case gained attention after her daughter, Chidimma Adetshina, was disqualified from the Miss South Africa beauty contest last year. She was ruled ineligible because she was not a South African citizen.
Following online criticism, Adetshina withdrew from the competition and later participated in the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 pageant, which she won. She went on to become the first runner-up at Miss Universe 2024 and was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania.
