Patients in chains rescued from suspected illegal rehab centre in South Africa

A rehabilitation centre is a place where people receive structured help to stop using drugs or recover from addiction. Treatment can include medical care, counselling, supervision, and support. The goal is recovery, not punishment. This matters because vulnerable people may depend on such facilities when they cannot manage addiction alone.

The Mpumalanga facility was suspected of operating illegally because officials found conditions that appeared unsafe and abusive. Some patients had sores across their bodies. Others were chained to each other. A 16-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were kept in a room with adults. The centre also operated from a church, and its owners told officials they housed 60 people, although more than 200 were found.

The raid exposed a gap between the centre’s claimed purpose and the treatment people received. Fourteen patients were taken to hospital, while 132 were reunited with families. The pastor and his wife face a kidnapping charge, and authorities said further charges could follow as the investigation continues.

Officials found more than 200 people at the suspected illegal rehabilitation centre in Mpumalanga. The facility’s operators, a pastor and his wife, had told officials they were housing 60 people. The final number was therefore more than three times the figure they gave authorities. This difference showed how severely the centre’s actual population exceeded its stated capacity.

The people found there were mostly believed to be drug addicts. More than 30 women were among them. A 16-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were also being kept in the same room as adults. Patients were found in crowded rooms, without functioning bathrooms or running water. These conditions would have affected basic safety, privacy, hygiene, and care.

The scale made the raid a major rescue operation rather than a small inspection. Fourteen people were taken to hospital for further medical treatment. Authorities also said 132 had been reunited with their families. The remaining cases were part of the response after officials uncovered the centre’s true size.

Officials described the conditions as “gross inhumane” during their raid. Patients were found in crowded rooms, and some had sores all over their bodies. Others were chained to each other. The centre also lacked functioning bathrooms and running water. These details point to serious failures in hygiene, safety, dignity, and basic medical care.

Gift Skhosana, who had been held there, said chaining patients was “common practice.” He said people were chained as punishment and when they gained entry. The centre’s operators charged a monthly fee of 3,000 rand, with almost half going to the church. A 16-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were kept in the same room as adults.

The consequences were immediate after the raid. Police said 14 people were taken to hospital for further treatment. Officials said 132 were reunited with their families. Skhosana said the facility helped him overcome drug use, but another former patient said the experience left him needing mental-health help. The contrasting accounts show why safe, lawful treatment and oversight matter.

The pastor and his wife ran the facility where more than 200 people were found. Police arrested and charged them with kidnapping after the raid. The charge reflects the allegation that people were unlawfully held or controlled at the centre. The article does not report the couple’s response, and they have not yet commented.

Officials found some patients chained to each other, while Gift Skhosana said chaining was used as punishment and when people gained entry. The centre also held a 16-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy in a room with adults. Patients faced crowded rooms, sores, and no functioning bathrooms or running water. These findings formed the context for the police action.

A kidnapping charge is an allegation, not a final finding of guilt. The couple is expected to appear in a local court on Monday. Police said they could add more charges as the case develops. The raid also led to medical treatment for 14 people and family reunification for 132.

The raid led to several forms of immediate help for people found at the centre. Police said 14 were taken to hospital for further medical treatment. Officials also said 132 were reunited with their families. These steps addressed urgent health needs and returned many people to relatives after they had been held in the facility.

The rescued group included more than 200 people, most believed to be drug addicts. Fourteen needed hospital care after officials found sores and other signs of poor conditions. The patients had lived in crowded rooms without functioning bathrooms or running water. Some were chained to each other, according to the authorities and a person held there.

The article does not give a complete outcome for everyone found. It does not say where all remaining people went or describe a longer-term treatment plan. The pastor and his wife were arrested and charged with kidnapping. Their case was due to appear before a local court on Monday, while officials considered possible additional charges.

The article connects the growth of illegal rehabilitation centres with rising drug use in South Africa. As more people struggle with addiction, demand grows for places promising recovery. That demand can create opportunities for unlicensed or unlawful operators. The article does not provide a detailed explanation of the drug trends, but it says drug use is spiralling.

The Mpumalanga centre shows how that demand can operate in practice. A pastor and his wife charged each patient 3,000 rand a month, with almost half going to the church. They told officials they housed 60 people, but inspectors found more than 200, most believed to be drug addicts. Some patients said the facility helped them, while others described harmful treatment.

Last year, the department of social development said it had uncovered over 100 unlawful facilities nationwide. Most were in Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg, the country’s largest city. The arrests and possible further charges show that authorities are responding, but the scale suggests continued need for lawful, properly supervised addiction care.

Evidence-based addiction treatment is planned care guided by research and a person’s health needs. It usually begins with an assessment of drug use, physical health, mental health, and safety risks. Medical staff may manage withdrawal, while counsellors help people understand triggers and build coping skills. Treatment should protect dignity and use the least restrictive safe approach.

Common methods include behavioural therapy, peer or family support, and medicines for some substance-use disorders. These approaches work through different mechanisms. Medicines can reduce withdrawal or cravings. Counselling can change harmful thinking and behaviour. Practical support can help with housing, relationships, and relapse risks. Progress is monitored, and plans can be adjusted rather than enforced through physical punishment.

This differs sharply from chaining patients, which Gift Skhosana described as punishment and a practice used when people gained entry. The article records that some patients found the facility helpful, but another person needed mental-health help afterward. Safe treatment requires trained providers, medical oversight, consent where possible, and protection from abuse.