South Africa: Approximately 200 people, including two children, found locked in an illegal drug rehabilitation center

Approximately 200 people were found on Thursday, October 15, 2026, in a church in Waterval B, Siyabuswa (Mpumalanga province, South Africa), where an unregistered drug rehabilitation center was operating. A 59-year-old man and a 58-year-old woman, identified by the provincial Department of Social Development as the pastor and his wife, were arrested on the morning of Friday, October 16, reports the South African daily TimesLIVE.

The discovery took place during an inspection tour of facilities suspected of being illegal. On-site, the couple initially claimed to be hosting about sixty residents. Officials counted nearly 200, including more than thirty women, an 11-year-old boy, and a 16-year-old girl.

Conditions described as inhumane by the ministry

According to the Department of Social Development, thirty-seven people were sharing a single room, sanitary facilities were insufficient, and water taps had been locked. Some residents had wounds, while others were chained to one another. Fourteen people received medical care during the operation. The ministry described the conditions as "grossly inhumane."

The facility charged 3,000 rand per month per person, with 1,300 rand of that amount paid to the church by intermediaries known as "scouters," according to the ministry. The residents came from areas including Rustenburg, Soweto, Springs, and Mamelodi. Some had been there for more than six months.

Three charges, court appearance on Monday

The couple faces charges of kidnapping, operating an unregistered treatment center under Section 19 of the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act, and failing to meet health and safety standards. Police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli confirmed the charges and announced the formation of an investigative team led by the provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Apaphia Modise. Further arrests have not been ruled out. The court appearance is scheduled for Monday at the Mdutjana Magistrate's Court in Siyabuswa. The two individuals arrested are presumed innocent at this stage.

Addiction left to the informal market

The case highlights not so much a church issue as a void: families entrust their loved ones to structures that operate without any accreditation due to a lack of space in registered centers. The fact that nearly 200 people could be held for months, in exchange for payment, just a few kilometers from a provincial administration, raises questions about the actual control exercised by the state over care facilities.

The ministry stated it is contacting parents and guardians to facilitate family reunions where possible and to refer others to social services in their respective regions. Lieutenant-General Modise commended the Social Development and environmental health officials who alerted the police.