Anabela Rungo, the mother of Miss Nigeria, Chidimma Adetshina, has been reportedly arrested by South African police in Cape Town.
According to reports making rounds online, the beauty queen’s mother who resides in South Africa, was arrested and detained by home affairs over alleged illegal residence.
In a statement, the Department of Home Affairs said its investigators assisted the South African Police Service detained Rungo in Cape Town on Saturday morning, February 15th, 2025.
Home Affairs said 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.”
See some reactions below,
One Joliegrace_nnoli wrote, “For real, this family should have left South Africa a long time ago. Why stay where you aren’t wanted?
One Precious Ibini wrote, “What are they even doing in that South African?
One Graced Twine wrote, “What’s her offense?
One Oluwacheayie wrote, “Can’t she use her power to sue these people?”.
Refreshing your memory, Chidimma was forced to withdraw from the Miss Universe South Africa pageantry in July. South Africans had questioned her citizenship and took to social media to call for her removal. Adetshina is born to a South African mother and a Nigerian father.
Guy Murray-Bruce, the National Director of Miss Universe Nigeria, had invited her to compete in the MUN 2024, which she won despite the ploys of South Africans to overthrow her.
Chidimma contested in the Miss Universe pageant where she merged first runner-up.
In an interview with BBC News Pidgin, Chidimma recounted her emotional journey, as she admitted that it had been a hectic one for her. She expressed sadness that South Africans felt she wasn’t South Africans enough because of her name, despite living in the country for 23 years. She expressed heartbreak that she wasn’t welcomed and accepted.
