The Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday heard the bail application of Anabela Rungo, the mother of former Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina, who faces allegations of immigration fraud.
Testifying for the State, Immigration Specialised Investigation Unit officer Adrian Jackson detailed the circumstances of Rungo’s arrest. He told the court that he was called on February 15 to assist in a counter-corruption case and was directed to the Milnerton SAPS police station, where he encountered Rungo, 46, seated in the general waiting area with a two-year-old child.
According to Jackson, Rungo was unable to provide legitimate immigration documents when questioned. She claimed to have misplaced them, but authorities arrested her after discovering she had allegedly entered and remained in South Africa unlawfully. The charge sheet states that Rungo, a Mozambican national, had previously been declared a prohibited person and had allegedly acquired a fraudulent South African identity document under the name “Sara Moyo,” a legitimate citizen. The alleged identity fraud has reportedly caused distress to Moyo since 2001.
Jackson opposed bail, arguing that Rungo had obtained fraudulent documents and manipulated immigration systems. He said the case was at a sensitive stage, with investigations ongoing. The Department of Home Affairs has since deleted the South African identity number linked to Moyo after Rungo failed to challenge the decision.
Further evidence presented revealed inconsistencies in Rungo’s travel records. While her Mozambican passport showed multiple entries into South Africa, there was no record of her exiting the country after she was declared a prohibited person on September 5 last year.
Authorities also seized documents from a residence in Summer Greens, including a laminated copy of Adetshina’s birth certificate. The two-year-old child found with Rungo at the time of her arrest has been placed in protective custody by the Department of Social Development.
During cross-examination, Rungo’s legal counsel, Ben Mathewson, argued that she had the right to appeal her prohibited status in the high court, claiming the Department of Home Affairs did not follow proper procedures in serving her documentation.
Magistrate Sadiqah Guenduoz reaffirmed an earlier order restricting the media from capturing Rungo’s face in court proceedings. Only images of her back may be taken while court is adjourned.
