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Anabela Rungo, the mother of former Miss South Africa finalist and Miss Universe Nigeria Chidimma Adetshina, appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court today, charged with identity theft and fraud. The Department of Home Affairs alleges that Rungo, a Mozambican national, stole a South African woman’s identity in 1995 to fraudulently obtain citizenship, including a passport and ID, which she used to register her daughter’s birth as a South African citizen in 2001.
Rungo was granted R10,000 bail in February 2025, with conditions including house arrest and a ban on applying for permanent residency. Her legal team, asserting her innocence, is challenging the bail terms. A conviction could result in imprisonment and deportation to Mozambique.
The case has drawn intense scrutiny due to Chidimma Adetshina’s pageant career. Her withdrawal from Miss South Africa 2024 amid citizenship questions, followed by her crowning as Miss Universe Nigeria and Miss Universe Africa and Oceania, has fueled public debate. The legal proceedings continue to spotlight issues of identity fraud and immigration enforcement in South Africa.
No date has been set for the next hearing.
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