By Brian Okoth
South African authorities have detained the mother of Miss Universe Africa 2024 Chidinma Adetshina for "fraudulent" acquisition of South Africa's identity documents.
In a statement dated Saturday, February 15th, South Africa's Department of Home Affairs said that Anabela Rungo, a Mozambican national, is under detention at a property in Cape Town.
The statement said: "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."
The Department of Home Affairs added in its statement that: "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.
Ongoing investigations
Investigations are ongoing into further potential misrepresentation and fraudulent conduct."
During her arrest on Saturday morning, South African home affairs officers found Rungo with her under-age child.
The Department of Home Affairs said Rungo will be handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) "as she is also the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation."
The Home Affairs department added that it was "liaising with the Department of Social Development and SAPS Child Protection Unit as it relates to protecting the interests of the under-age child."
'Stolen identity'
South African immigration lawyers say that Rungo would, most likely, be presented with two options: to personally leave South Africa, or be deported to her home country.
South African authorities launched an investigation into the citizenship of beauty queen Adetshina and her mother in August 2024. The probe came after a preliminary probe suggested that Rungo may have used stolen identity details of a South African woman to register Adetshina at birth on January 8th, 2001.
The citizenship dispute saw Adetshina, who was eyeing the Miss South Africa 2024 crown, shift her modelling to Nigeria, which is her biological father's native country.
Adetshina, who took part in the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, won the competition, and was crowned the Miss Universe 2024 first runner-up in Mexico in November.
24-year-old Adetshina came behind 21-year-old Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark, who was crowned the winner out of nearly 130 contestants.
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