WATERVAL B, Mpumalanga — Authorities in Mpumalanga have rescued nearly 200 vulnerable individuals, including children and the elderly, who were found chained at an illegal rehabilitation centre operating out of a local church in Waterval B. The shocking discovery was made during a joint raid by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Social Development (DSD) following a tip-off regarding unregistered treatment facilities in the region.
The unregistered facility, identified as St. John’s Church in the Siyabuswa area of the Nkangala District, was masquerading as a religious institution. Upon entering the premises, officials discovered horrifying conditions. According to Dr. Tebogo Matoane-Nkabinde, the Nkangala District Director for the Department of Social Development, the rooms were so dark that officials had to use their cell phones for illumination.
“The cells in the police station are clean and better than what we are seeing there,” Dr. Matoane-Nkabinde noted, highlighting the severe lack of basic sanitation, including broken ablution facilities. The residents were found chained together in overcrowded rooms, a stark violation of human dignity and health standards.
While the operators initially claimed to be housing only 60 people for prayer, officials counted over 160 individuals chained inside, with the total number of people on the property reaching nearly 200. The victims included men, women, the elderly, and children as young as nine, 13, and 14 years old. Preliminary investigations indicate that many of the victims were brought from Soweto, Springs, and Rustenburg.
The facility was being run by a pastor and his wife, who were subsequently arrested. During the raid, the operators admitted to running the facility but falsely claimed it was strictly a church. However, investigations revealed a lucrative financial scheme: parents were reportedly charged R3,000 per person for admission. The operators allegedly kept R1,700 of this fee and paid the remaining R1,300 to an unidentified person of interest who facilitated the intake of patients. Furthermore, despite claims of only housing 60 people, officials observed staff dishing food for at least 170 individuals. The meals consisted of what appeared to be soda and soup, raising further concerns about the nutritional and medical care provided.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli confirmed that the scene remained active as multiple departments processed the site. “This operation is led by the Department of Social Development, which also called environmental health to the scene,” Brigadier Mdhluli stated, adding that a joint media statement would be issued once all processing was complete.
The operation is a direct violation of the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act (Act 70 of 2008), which mandates that any facility treating substance abuse must be a registered entity capable of providing proper detoxification, psychosocial support, and psychiatric interventions.
Following the rescue, a massive reintegration effort was launched. Social workers began the systematic process of identifying the victims, contacting their next of kin, and arranging transport to return them to their families. Those whose families could not immediately receive them were temporarily relocated to DSD safe houses.
Dr. Matoane-Nkabinde emphasized that the department is closely monitoring other so-called churches in the district to ensure they are not illegally operating as unregistered rehabilitation centres under the camouflage of religious rituals.
