Third arrest over alleged unregistered rehab centre as three face court in Siyabuswa

A third person has been arrested in connection with the alleged rehabilitation facility that Department of Social Development officials discovered on Thursday, 15 October 2026, Mpumalanga police say.

The suspect, a 37-year-old man, was arrested on Saturday, 17 October 2026. He faces the same charges as the two suspects arrested last week: kidnapping, allegedly running the rehab facility without authorisation in contravention of Act 70 of 2008, and contravention of health and safety standards.

All three appear together today, Monday 19 October 2026, at the Mdutjana Magistrate’s Court in Siyabuswa.

The South African Police Service announced the arrest in a media statement issued from the Office of the Provincial Commissioner, Mpumalanga, in Nelspruit. The statement does not name the suspects, does not say where in Mpumalanga the facility is located, and does not describe what officials found when they discovered it. It also does not say whether the three have legal representation or how they intend to plead. Those details are expected to emerge in court.

Under South African law a person charged with an offence is presumed innocent until a court finds otherwise. The charges against the three are allegations that have not been tested in court.

The statement is a police summary of the case rather than the court record itself. Enquiries on the matter are directed to Brigadier Donald Mdhluli of the South African Police Service. The original statement is published at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=71955.