Anabela Rungo, the mother of Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has been arrested in South Africa over allegations of fraudulently obtaining a South African identity document. According to the Department of Home Affairs, 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.
Rungo had been declared persona non grata in September 2024 after officials uncovered irregularities in her residency status. Despite being declared undesirable, Rungo allegedly defied the country’s immigration laws by using her Mozambican passport to continue residing in South Africa.
The arrest comes after controversy surrounding Adetshina’s participation in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant, where it was revealed that she was ineligible to contest due to her not being a South African citizen. Adetshina later withdrew from the Miss SA pageant and went on to win Miss Universe Nigeria, finishing as the first runner-up at the Miss Universe pageant in Mexico last November.
At the time of her arrest, Rungo was with Adetshina’s minor child, prompting authorities to engage social services to ensure the child’s welfare. Rungo will be handed over to the South African Police Service for further processing and is also the subject of an ongoing Hawks investigation.