Siyabonga Sithole|Published
The discovery of over 200 victims of substance abuse in Siyabuswa, Mpumalanga, this week has brought attention to the growing number of unregistered drug rehab facilities in South Africa's communities.
On Thursday, the Mpumalanga Department of Social Development, acting on a tip-off, confirmed this gruesome discovery, where even young people as young as nine years old were found under inhumane conditions in this facility. This grim discovery came during an operation prompted by a ---tip-off and highlights an alarming trend of unregulated drug rehabilitation facilities sprouting across South African communities.
Provincial SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdluli termed it a "grave violation of human dignity."
The victims included approximately 30 females and individuals from impoverished areas such as Soweto, Springs, and Rustenburg, illustrating the desperate search for help amid the growing substance abuse epidemic.
It is reported that this facility has been operating within a local church, and upon initial questioning, the alleged operators—a pastor and his wife—claimed they were merely accommodating around 60 individuals for prayer.
However, officials reported an overwhelming total of around 200 individuals present, a stark contradiction that raised alarms about the centre's legitimacy and the fate of its occupants. Further reports indicate that the said owners were pocketing more than R200,000 in fees per month.
Dr. Tebogo Matoane-Nkabinde, Nkangala District Director for the Department of Social Development, described the harrowing scene.
"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."
The government’s intervention comes on the heels of tragic fatalities in the substance abuse arena, reigniting concerns surrounding unregistered facilities.
Earlier this year, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development revealed that a Richmond-based rehab, Discipline Boot Camp SA, was not officially registered and was linked to the untimely deaths of several patients due to alleged torture and neglect.
Shafiek Davids, Chief Operations Officer of SBC Drug Rehab Centres, condemned the evolving landscape of rehabilitation in South Africa, stating that funding cuts to legitimate, registered treatment centres have left a significant gap in available services.
Davids further noted that unregistered facilities often lure desperate families without the necessary accreditation or qualified professionals, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. He urged deeper investigations into the abuses occurring at these unofficial centres.
"Substance use disorders require professional, evidence-based interventions...not punishment, humiliation, forced confinement, or abuse."
Modise Moathlodi, another substance abuse activist, believes that the government should declare substance abuse a national health crisis and use the same resources allocated to the recent anti-migrant protest to resolve the crisis.
"Drug abuse is truly a scourge, and I am surprised why it has not been declared a national epidemic...the R600 million that was spent on protecting undocumented foreign nationals would have gone a long way to drive back the frontiers of this dark cloud hanging over our nation."
Davids believes that where there is desperation and limited access to treatment, a market develops, and some individuals may exploit that desperation for financial gain. He adds that the dangers are dire for both parents and victims of substance abuse.
Davids added: "We cannot fight substance use disorders by simply closing illegal facilities while registered treatment centres continue to struggle to survive... We must close the gap between the need for treatment and the availability of safe, professional, evidence-based services."
siyabonga.sithole@nationalmg.co.za