South African authorities have arrested Anabela Rungo, the mother of Chidimma Adetshina, the winner of the Miss Universe Nigeria 2024, on charges of identity fraud.

Sunday Telegraph gathered that Rungo, a Mozambican national, was taken into custody in Cape Town during a coordinated operation involving the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Home Affairs.

She is accused of fraudulently acquiring a South African identity document, despite being previously declared an “undesirable person” in September 2024 due to irregularities in her residency status.

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Authorities intensified their scrutiny of Rungo’s immigration status following a controversy over her daughter’s participation in the Miss South Africa beauty pageant.

Adetshina was disqualified after it was revealed that she did not hold South African citizenship.

During Rungo’s arrest, law enforcement officials discovered Adetshina’s minor child at the residence, prompting intervention from the Department of Social Development and SAPS Child Protection Services to ensure the child’s safety.

Investigators suspect Rungo may have used her Mozambican passport to circumvent immigration laws.

She remains in detention and is expected to be handed over to law enforcement officials for further investigation by the Hawks, South Africa’s elite crime-fighting unit.