Cape Town authorities have arrested Anabela Rungo, the mother of Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, for allegedly residing illegally in South Africa.
The Department of Home Affairs, working alongside the South African Police Service (SAPS), conducted the operation on the morning of Saturday, February 15, 2025, at a property in Cape Town.
According to Siya Qoza, the spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs, Rungo had her South African documentation revoked in September 2024 after authorities determined that it had been fraudulently obtained.
Despite this, she allegedly continued to reside in the country using her Mozambican passport, defying the legal restrictions placed on her.
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“In an apparent act of brazen disregard for the legal consequences of her conduct, it appears that Rungo has defied her ‘undesirable’ status through her Mozambican passport,” Qoza stated. Authorities are currently investigating whether she committed further acts of misrepresentation and fraud.
During the operation, officials also discovered an underage child, reportedly related to Adetshina, residing with Rungo. The Department of Home Affairs is now coordinating with the Department of Social Development and SAPS Child Protection Unit to ensure the child’s welfare.
Following her processing by Home Affairs, Rungo will be handed over to SAPS, as she is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.
Her arrest follows a recent sighting of Chidimma Adetshina at a restaurant in Cape Town earlier this week, which may have led authorities to her mother’s location. Officials have stated that further updates on the case will be provided as investigations continue.
