Anabela Rungo, the mother of Chidimma Adetshina, the reigning Ms Universe Africa and Oceania, has been arrested and detained by South African authorities.
According to Home Affairs, Rungo was taken into custody for continuing to reside in South Africa despite revoking her documentation in September last year due to allegations of fraudulent obtainment of her identity documents.
Siya Qoza, spokesperson for the Home Affairs Department, explained that Rungo was declared persona non grata in September 2024 after officials discovered 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 noted 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,” he said.
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 remain unclear.
