South African pastor and wife arrested after illegal centre raid finds 200 people
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
A pastor and his wife have been arrested after officials found about 200 people, some chained, at a suspected illegal rehabilitation centre in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The case has renewed scrutiny of unlawful facilities as drug use rises and authorities continue to uncover centres operating without proper oversight.
The centre was run from a church, and officials said residents were crowded into rooms without running water or functioning bathrooms; some had sores, and two minors were found with adults. The couple said they housed 60 people and charged 3,000 rand (£137) a month, nearly half of which went to the church. Fourteen people were taken to hospital, 132 were reunited with their families, and the couple face kidnapping charges, with further charges possible.
- About 200 people were found at a suspected illegal centre.
- Some residents were chained, and two minors were among them.
- The pastor and his wife face kidnapping charges.
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South Africa’s provinces oversee health services, including treatment for drug and alcohol dependence. Rehabilitation can involve medical care and support to help people stop using drugs, but a facility must meet legal and safety requirements.
People seeking treatment may turn to private centres or community and faith groups. When a centre operates without proper oversight, residents can be at risk of unsafe conditions, and families may have little information about the care being provided.
Full account
A pastor and his wife have been arrested in Mpumalanga, north-eastern South Africa, after officials found about 200 people at a church-run rehabilitation centre suspected of operating illegally. Police say the couple face kidnapping charges. The facility was among several sites being inspected on Thursday, 15 October, as part of an operation targeting unregistered rehabilitation centres.
The number of people found was more than three times the 60 the couple reportedly said they were housing. They included more than 30 women, an 11-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl. Most were men aged 22 or over. Officials described cramped rooms, including one reportedly shared by 37 people, and a lack of working bathrooms and running water. Some people had sores; others were chained to one another.
People who had been staying at the centre gave differing accounts of their experience. One man told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika that chaining was used as punishment and when people arrived. He also said the centre had helped him stop using drugs. Another person said the experience had left him needing mental health support. The couple reportedly charged 3,000 rand a month, with almost half of that amount going to the church.
Police said 14 people were taken to hospital for further treatment, while 132 had been reunited with their families. The pastor, 59, and his wife, 58, were arrested on Friday and are due to appear at Mdutjana magistrates’ court in Siyabuswa on Monday. Authorities have said they may consider further charges; the couple have not commented. South Africa’s Department of Social Development said last year it had identified more than 100 unlawful facilities nationwide, most of them in Gauteng.
Where outlets differ
The first report says some residents had been at the centre for a while and includes testimony from two people about their experiences. The second focuses more on the inspection and police account, gives the couple’s ages and the centre’s location as Waterval B, and reports that 37 people shared one room. Both describe the conditions as inhumane, but use different wording for the people found there: the first generally calls them patients or people held at the centre, while the second repeatedly describes them as alleged hostages.
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Originally published by BBC World as “Patients in chains rescued from suspected illegal rehab centre in South Africa”.