The Department of Home Affairs, in conjunction with the South African Police Service (SAPS), detained Anabela Rungo in Cape Town on Saturday.
Rungo is the mother of former Miss SA contestant Chidimma Adetshina, who is under investigation for allegedly obtaining South African documentation through fraudulent means.
The department reveals that the authorities moved swiftly following a September 2024 decision by the department to revoke Rungo's South African residency status.
Investigators uncovered that her legal documents had been fraudulently secured, making her residency in South Africa illegal. Despite this, reports suggest Rungo attempted to bypass the legal ramifications of her status by utilising her Mozambican passport, a move that demonstrably flouts the laws and regulations governing her situation.
In a statement shared publicly, the department revealed, “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. Investigations are ongoing into further potential misrepresentation and fraudulent conduct. During the operation this morning, investigators from the Counter Corruption and Immigration Services branches of the department also found Adetshina's under-aged child residing with Rungo. After being processed by Home Affairs over her apparent illegal continued residence in South Africa, Ms Rungo will be handed over to the SAPS as she is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation. Home Affairs is further liaising with the Department of Social Development and SAPS Child Protection Unit as it relates to protecting the interests of the underage child. The department will provide further updates at opportune moments.’’
The unfolding drama surrounding Adetshina, who was crowned first runner-up at the Miss Universe 2024 pageant held in Mexico last year, has drawn widespread attention.
The beauty queen, who was forced to withdraw from the Miss South Africa pageant just days before the finale, faced allegations from Home Affairs that her parents had committed identity fraud to grant her South African citizenship shortly after her birth.
Saturday Star