Department of social development

 

 

A pastor and his wife have been arrested in South Africa after 200 people, some in chains, were found held at a suspected illegal rehabilitation centre in the north-eastern part of the country.

The facility, operated from a church in Mpumalanga province, was discovered during an operation by officials in the area on Thursday.

Authorities said they uncovered "gross inhumane conditions" when they raided the facility, with some patients found with "sores all over their bodies" and "others chained to each other".

Police have since charged the couple, who were running the facility, with kidnapping but could add more charges. They have not yet commented.

Illegal rehabilitation centres have mushroomed in South Africa in recent years as drug use spirals in the country.

Last year, the department of social development said it had uncovered over 100 unlawful facilities operating across the country, mostly in Gauteng province, home to the country's largest city, Johannesburg.

A girl of 16 and a boy of 11 were found being kept in the same room as adults in the Mpumalanga centre.

South Africa Police Service

The couple running it told officials they were housing 60 people, but upon inspection, more than three times that number were found, including more than 30 women.

The group, mostly believed to be drug addicts, were found in crowded rooms and without access to functioning bathrooms or running water.

"Some [of them had] been at the alleged illegal centre for a while," the department said.

Gift Skhosana, one of those held at the facility, told local broadcaster Newzroom Afrika it was "common practice" for patients to be chained.

"They chain us as punishment [and] when you gain entry," he said.

Despite this, Skhosana, who was a drug user, said the facility helped him get clean and overcome his addiction.

Another person, who was not named, said his experience with the facility left him needing help mentally.

The couple charged a monthly fee of 3,000 rand ($182; £137) to house the patients, of which almost a half would go to the church.

Fourteen of those found at the centre have since been taken to hospital for further medical treatment, police said.

Officials said 132 have been reunited with their families.

The couple is expected to appear in a local court on Monday.