KEY POINTS
- A 31-year-old man seeking rehabilitation was beaten to death by security guards at an unregistered facility in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, after attempting to escape.
- Investigations revealed appalling conditions at the facility, including inadequate sanitation, physical restraints on patients, and a lack of proper registration.
- Three guards have been arrested and charged with murder, while calls for stricter regulation of rehabilitation centres in South Africa have intensified.
In a shocking incident that has exposed the dark underbelly of unregulated rehabilitation centres in South Africa, a 31-year-old patient seeking treatment for substance abuse was brutally beaten to death by security guards at an unregistered facility in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga.
The patient, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, was allegedly chained and assaulted after attempting to escape the centre.
Three security guards have been arrested and charged with murder, while investigations have revealed a litany of violations at the facility.
The incident occurred in the early hours of February 12, 2025, when community members discovered the lifeless body of the patient. Police were called to the scene and found the man naked on the floor of his room, bearing visible injuries to his face.
“The Witbank police were called to a scene where a person was found in his room naked on the floor,” confirmed Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane.
“The victim had injuries on his face. And after further investigation, it was found that the deceased was in the rehabilitation centre and ran away to the nearby farm.”
According to police reports, the man had attempted to escape the facility but was caught and accused of theft. “According to information, he was caught for suspected stealing and was brought under the attention of the security personnel at the centre,” Ndubane stated.
Witnesses allege that the victim was restrained and brutally assaulted by the guards upon his return to the facility. “According to eye witnesses, the victim was brought back to the centre. There, he was assaulted by the security guards at the rehabilitation centre, where he died,” Ndubane added.
According to the Sundayworld, The three suspects—Luki Zulu, 36, Sandie Masimula, 23, and Sbusiso Mavuso, 28—were arrested at the scene and appeared before the Emalahleni Magistrate’s Court on February 14.
The case has been postponed to February 25 for further investigation. Authorities have since discovered that the facility was operating without registration and had no record of prior complaints. “The facility is not registered. No previous complaints were received from the facility,” Ndubane acknowledged.
Disturbing conditions uncovered
Following the incident, the Democratic Alliance (DA) conducted an oversight visit to the facility, uncovering appalling living conditions.
Annerie Weber, a member of the provincial legislature who led the visit, described the facility as “completely unfit for human habitation.” “We found shocking living conditions, and it was clear the institution was still under construction,” Weber said.
The facility housed 28 patients with only one portable toilet, no showers or bathing areas, and inadequate meal preparation facilities
More alarmingly, some patients were found physically restrained to prevent them from escaping. Weber also criticized the police for failing to secure critical evidence at the scene. “We found out that the police left behind the baton that had allegedly been used to beat the man to death,” she revealed.
