Law enforcement authorities in South Africa have detained Chidimma Adetshina’s mother, Anabela Rungo.
In a statement, the Department of Home Affairs said its investigators assisted by the South African Police Service detained Rungo in Cape Town on Saturday morning.
Home Affairs says it withdrew Rungo’s South African documentation in September 2024 after discovering it had been fraudulently obtained.
This rendered her ineligible to continue residing in South Africa.
“In an apparent act of brazen disregard for the legal consequences of her conduct, it appears that Ms Rungo has defied her ‘undesirable’ status through her Mozambican passport,” the Department of Home Affairs said in a statement.
“Investigations are ongoing into further potential misrepresentation and fraudulent conduct.”
Further compounding the situation, Adetshina’s young child was discovered living with Rungo at the property in Cape Town. This has led the Department of Home Affairs to work with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Social Development to ensure the safety and well-being of the child.
“The department is liaising with social development and the SAPS Child Protection Unit to safeguard the interests of the minor child,” said Qoza. “Rungo will be handed over to the SAPS for further legal processing, and she remains the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Hawks.”
The controversy surrounding Adetshina’s citizenship began last year during her participation in the Miss South Africa pageant. Questions were raised about her nationality, due to her name and her mother’s background. Adetshina, who is of Nigerian and Mozambican descent, clarified that she was born to a Nigerian father and a South African mother of Mozambican heritage.
However, the investigation by Home Affairs brought to light allegations of identity fraud committed by her mother, leading to further scrutiny. In the wake of these revelations, Adetshina made the decision to withdraw from the Miss South Africa competition but later competed in Miss Universe Nigeria, where she won the crown.
She went on to secure the title of first runner-up in the 2024 Miss Universe Pageant, while also being crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania.
