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The owner of a controversial rehabilitation centre near Butterworth and six of his employees are expected to appear in the Butterworth Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of attempted murder and kidnapping after the alleged assault of a 26-year-old patient.
The arrests have once again thrust Khulalani Abantu Bam, a facility in Ndabakazi outside Butterworth, into the spotlight nearly a decade after allegations of abuse and inhumane conditions first surfaced.
The centre has long been the subject of controversy.
As far back as 2017, investigations revealed allegations of poor living conditions and abuse at the facility.
Though registered as a nonprofit organisation in 2015, the facility is not licensed as a drug treatment centre.
It has continued to accommodate people battling substance abuse and mental illness for about R2,000 a month.
A 2017 Dispatch investigation found that efforts to shut down the facility were linked to the death of a patient who had allegedly been admitted there.
At the time, patients described conditions at the centre as “far worse than those in prison”.
A Dispatch team visited the facility on Tuesday and found it still operating.
Patients were spread throughout the fenced property while workers were carrying water in buckets from a nearby river and hanging worn blankets over perimeter fencing.
A relative of one patient, who declined to be named for fear of reprisals, alleged that patients were subjected to abuse by staff.
The media team was met with hostility during its visit.
A man driving a blue Volkswagen Polo threatened to shoot members of the reporting team if photographs of the facility were not deleted.
The man confiscated the vehicle keys of the journalists and only returned them after being satisfied that images taken at the property had been destroyed.
He then followed the team for several kilometres as they left the area.
No comment was obtained from the facility’s management or staff because of the pending court matter.
One Ndabakazi resident defended the centre, saying it had helped many people overcome addiction.
“I see it is a good place. A lot of children are transferred from places to here,” he said.
“Many people see what is going on there as a good thing.”
Eastern Cape social development MEC Bukiwe Fanta condemned the operation of unlicensed treatment facilities.
Fanta said while Khulalani Abantu Bam was registered as an NPO, that did not entitle it to operate as a treatment centre.
“It is important to clarify that mere registration as an NPO does not constitute licence and or qualification to operate as a legitimate drug treatment centre.
“The absence of compliance with the Prevention of and Treatment for Substance Abuse Act, 70 of 2008, raises serious concerns about the safety and wellbeing of the individuals who seek help from illegal treatment centres,” she said.
“Drug and substance abuse is a significant challenge in our society, and it is imperative that we provide effective, safe and legitimate treatment options for those in need.”
According to the department, Khulalani Abantu Bam is one of 10 illegal treatment centres identified in the province during 2025.
Three are located in Buffalo City Metro, two in the Amathole district, two in Nelson Mandela Bay and one each in the Chris Hani and Sarah Baartman districts.
The department said that despite a notice of noncompliance being issued to the organisation in 2022, the facility continued operating.
Authorities are now considering legal action to enforce the closure of this facility and other unlicensed centres.
Police spokesperson Captain Majola Nkohli confirmed the arrests.
“It is alleged on May 4 2026, a patient escaped from the centre and was forcibly returned and assaulted,” Nkohli said.
“The victim was later visited by a relative, who saw his condition and took him to hospital, and later reported a criminal case.
“A case of attempted murder and kidnapping was opened on May 12.
“The suspects, aged between 24 and 75, were nabbed on May 17.”
Nkohli said the owner and six employees of the rehabilitation centre in Estishini location were expected to appear in court on Wednesday for a formal bail application.
Daily Dispatch
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