Reason Behind Chidimma Adetshina’s Mother Arrest – South African Govt 

The South African government has revealed that Anabela Rungo, the mother of Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, Chidimma Adetshina, was detained in Cape Town over allegations of fraudulently obtaining her identity documents.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, Rungo’s arrest followed her continued stay in the country after her documentation was revoked in September 2024.

Rungo was detained after her arrest in Cape Town, weekend, in a joint operation by Home Affairs investigators and the South African Police Service, SAPS.

Explaining the reason for her detention, Siya Qoza, Home Affairs Department’s spokesperson, said Rungo was 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 stated.

Qoza further explained that despite being declared undesirable, Rungo intentionally defied the country’s immigration laws and continued to stay in the country.

“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.”

Rungo may face deportation from South Africa, according to immigration lawyer Ashraf Essop. “You either leave the country on your own, or be detained and deported,” Essop told eNCA.

However, Essop noted that the circumstances surrounding the invalidation of Rungo’s documentation in September last year remained unclear. He suggested that had Rungo voluntarily surrendered her documents, arrangements for her deportation could have been made.

The controversy surrounding Rungo’s residency status began after her daughter, Chidimma Adetshina, was deemed ineligible to participate in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant due to her non-citizenship status. Adetshina later won the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 title and became the Miss Universe 2024 first-runner-up and Miss Universe Africa and Oceania.