The Department of Home Affairs in South Africa has detained Anabela Rungo, the mother of Chidimma Adetshina, Miss Universe Nigeria, over allegations of identity fraud. Rungo was arrested on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at a property in Cape Town, according to the department’s spokesperson, Siya Qoza.
The arrest comes after Rungo’s South African documentation was withdrawn in September 2024, following the discovery that it had been fraudulently obtained. Despite being declared “undesirable” and ineligible to reside in South Africa, Rungo allegedly continued to stay in the country using her Mozambican passport.
During the arrest, investigators found Adetshina’s underage child living with Rungo. The Department of Home Affairs is working with the Department of Social Development and the SAPS Child Protection Unit to ensure the child’s interests are protected.
Rungo will be handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further investigation, as she is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. The Department of Home Affairs has promised to provide further updates on the case.
