Why Chidimma Adetshina’s mother, Anabela was arrested, detained — South African govt.

South African authorities have clarified the reasons behind the recent arrest and detention of Anabela Rungo, the mother of Chidimma Adetshina, the reigning Ms Universe Africa and Oceania.

The arrest, carried out by the Department of Home Affairs, follows allegations of fraudulent activity surrounding Rungo’s South African documentation.

Home Affairs officials stated that Rungo had continued to reside in the country despite having her residency status revoked in September 2024.

The revocation came after it was discovered that her identity documents had been obtained fraudulently, rendering her ineligible to remain in South Africa.

Rungo was detained following her arrest in Cape Town during a joint operation conducted by Home Affairs investigators and the South African Police Service (SAPS) over the weekend.

Siya Qoza, spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs, explained the situation, stating, “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 further noted that despite being declared persona non grata, Rungo defied the country’s immigration laws and remained in South Africa. “It appears that Rungo has defied her ‘undesirable’ status through her Mozambican passport. Investigations are ongoing into further potential misrepresentation and fraudulent conduct,” he added.

Following processing by Home Affairs for her unlawful stay, Rungo will be handed over to SAPS, as she is also under investigation by the Hawks, South Africa’s elite crime-fighting unit.

An immigration lawyer, Ashraf Essop, told eNCA that individuals in Rungo’s position typically have two options once their documents are invalidated: “You either leave the country on your own, or be detained and deported.”

However, Essop pointed out that the circumstances surrounding the invalidation of Rungo’s documents remain unclear. He also suggested that Rungo could have avoided detention by voluntarily surrendering her documents, which would have facilitated her deportation.

Rungo’s detention comes amid controversy surrounding her daughter, Chidimma Adetshina, who faced scrutiny after initially being deemed ineligible to participate in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant due to her non-South African citizenship.

Adetshina later withdrew from the competition after facing online bullying. She eventually went on to win the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024 title and emerged first runner-up in the Miss Universe 2024 competition.