KEY POINTS
- A Mozambican woman faces identity fraud charges in South Africa.
- Authorities claim she used a false identity to stay in the country.
- Her bail hearing was postponed as officials investigate further.
A 46-year-old Mozambican woman, Anabela Rungo, appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for a bail application after being charged with identity fraud and immigration violations.
Authorities claim that Rungo used a false identity to remain in South Africa despite being declared a prohibited person.
According to Adrian Jackson, an officer from the Immigration Specialised Investigation Unit, Rungo was arrested on February 15 at the Milnerton police station.
Jackson testified that authorities found her in possession of a fraudulent South African identity document. The document was under the name Sara Moyo, a legitimate citizen.
The Department of Home Affairs discovered that someone duplicated Moyo’s identity in 2001. This caused complications and significant prejudice against the real Moyo, as described by authorities.
Bail opposition and investigation status
During the bail hearing, the prosecution opposed her release, arguing that Rungo poses a flight risk and has a history of manipulating official systems.
According to IOL, Jackson told the court that Rungo had previously obtained fraudulent documents. He argued that she could potentially do so again to evade authorities.
Further investigations revealed that Rungo’s Mozambican passport had multiple entry stamps into South Africa. However, authorities could not find corresponding exit records.
This raised concerns that she had been living in the country illegally since at least September 2024. They first declared her a prohibited person at that time.
Authorities confirmed that they recovered a laminated copy of her daughter’s birth certificate during a raid at a residence in Summer Greens near Milnerton. They identified her daughter as former Miss South Africa contestant Chidimma Adetshina.
Legal proceedings and child welfare concerns
In court, Rungo’s attorney, Ben Mathewson, argued that she has the right to appeal her prohibited person status. He stated that she could take the case to the High Court.
He claimed that Home Affairs did not follow proper legal procedures when serving her with official documentation.
Meanwhile, authorities said that the Department of Social Development placed Rungo’s two-year-old grandchild in protective custody. The child was with her at the time of her arrest.
The court restricted media access, allowing only back-facing photographs of Rungo during the proceedings. It postponed the bail hearing until Friday for further arguments.
