200 people found in church-run facility as South Africa arrests pastor and wife
A church in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province has become the centre of a criminal investigation after authorities discovered around 200 people living in a facility allegedly operating as an unauthorised rehabilitation centre, with some residents reportedly chained together.
The discovery was made during an inspection on Thursday, when officials found far more people at the premises than the pastor and his wife, who ran the facility, had declared. The couple had reportedly said they were accommodating 60 people.
Instead, authorities found approximately 200 residents, including more than 30 women and two children a 16-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy, who were being kept in the same room as adults.
The conditions uncovered raised serious concerns about the treatment and welfare of those housed there. Officials reported that some residents had sores across their bodies, while others were chained to one another. The overcrowded rooms reportedly lacked running water and functioning bathrooms.
Police have arrested the pastor and his wife and charged them with kidnapping. Investigators are considering whether additional charges should be brought against them. The couple has not publicly commented on the allegations.
Authorities also found that the operation was generating income from the people in its care. Each resident was reportedly charged 3,000 rand monthly, equivalent to approximately US$182, with nearly half of the amount going to the church.
Following the discovery, 14 residents were taken to hospital for further medical attention, while 132 had been reunited with their families, according to police. Officials said some of those rescued had spent an extended period at the facility.
The case highlights continuing concerns over unregulated rehabilitation centres in South Africa, where authorities have previously warned about facilities operating outside the law. The Department of Social Development reported last year that it had identified more than 100 illegal centres nationwide, with most located in Gauteng, the province that includes Johannesburg.
The pastor and his wife are expected to appear in a local court on Monday as the investigation continues.
Source: BBC
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