Nearly 200 people held in chains at Mpumalanga rehab centre, pastor and wife arrested

Mpumalanga authorities have shut down an unregistered rehabilitation centre where close to 200 people were found being held, some of them chained, beaten and packed more than 40 to a room.

The facility was closed on Thursday after officials found residents admitted against their will and living in conditions the Department of Social Development described as a gross violation of their rights and of the norms set out in the Community-Based Services Act of 2008. A pastor and his wife have been arrested on multiple charges, including extortion and child trafficking.

Toko Mashlangu of the Department of Social Development said the department found that people had been admitted to the centre against their will and that the conditions were horrific.

“Some were chained and some have got sores on their bodies. Some they showed that they’ve been beaten,” Mashlangu said. More than 40 people were housed in a single room that was dark, with no windows and no ventilation, she said.

It was that finding that moved environmental health practitioners to close the centre immediately, after which officials began profiling the people who had been held there.

The department then contacted families to tell them what had been found. Some came to collect their children. Others were taken to hospital because officials suspected mental health problems and wanted proper assessment and diagnosis. Those residents are still receiving treatment, and the department says it will take the necessary statutory steps to reunite them with their families.

The closure marks a step up in enforcement against illegal rehabilitation operations in the province, which have now been pushed into the open by the condition of the people found inside this one.

In a separate matter, North West businessman and former ANC regional treasurer Suliman Carrim was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday night as he was about to board a flight to Dubai. Police spokesperson Lindiwe Ximba said Carrim was flagged by the cold case unit on fraud and corruption charges under investigation that relate to the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in the North West. He also faces a charge of failure to appear before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. The commission has welcomed the arrest, saying it will send a strong message to witnesses who fail to take the inquiry seriously.

In the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday, state prosecutor Donald Cheecho told the court that Carrim had no return ticket. Carrim told the court that the arrest and court appearance had taken a toll on his health, that he had not taken his medication, and that he had told the commission in a warning statement that he intended to get medical treatment and return.

In KwaZulu-Natal, the brother of one of two ANC members shot dead in Umgababa says the victims were doing door-to-door campaigning with ANC members when gunmen opened fire. Three others were injured and taken to hospital. ANC election campaign manager Mdumiseni Ntuli named the dead as Nokuthula Mavundla and Lungani Makhatini and offered the party’s condolences, saying the country faces rising levels of crime and criminality.

The IEC has confirmed that 32 parties that had the same problem as the ANC will also be allowed to use their affected candidate lists, after a Constitutional Court ruling overturned the disqualification of 181 ANC candidates for missing an online submission deadline. IEC chair Mosotho Moepya said the parties had nominated compliant candidates and paid their deposits but had not submitted their final lists, and that excluding them would offend the principle of equal treatment. The commission says 27 million of the 33 million ballots needed have already been printed, and that no costs were incurred on the 6.6 million ballots for the six municipalities affected because printing was held back until the court ruled.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola is expected back on duty on Monday after President Cyril Ramaphosa lifted his suspension. Masemola was suspended in April after appearing in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court over alleged Public Finance Management Act violations tied to alleged oversight failures in a R360 million SAPS medical services tender.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has condemned an AI-generated fake news article claiming a matric exam leak. The department said the National Senior Certificate English Paper 3 examination was not compromised and warned that spreading disinformation at such a critical time is irresponsible.

Lions rugby player Hendrik Andrews has died in France at the hotel where the team was staying ahead of their European Champions Cup match against La Rochelle. The 31-year-old was reportedly found unresponsive in a shower on Friday morning and was in cardiac arrest when paramedics reached him. Attempts to resuscitate him failed and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Lions chief executive Rudolf Straeuli described Andrews as a gifted rugby player and a cherished member of the Lions family, and SA Rugby president Mark Alexander extended sympathies to his wife and family.

In cricket, Proteas teammates are hoping Kagiso Rabada will be fit for the second Test against Australia in Trebecha on Sunday as he nurses a hamstring injury.

French authorities are preparing for nationwide protests on Saturday as the Yellow Vests movement re-emerges, with around 1,000 rallies expected over the cost of fuel and the cost of living.

eNCA (YouTube) reported these developments in its news bulletin of 16 October 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTrIAwz5_I4