By Montsho Matlala
Modjadjiskloof: Following a recent death of a man allegedly at the hands of privately owned drug and discipline rehabilitation camp at Modjadiskloof, the Limpopo social development department has cautioned people to be vigilant when seeking services of such centres.
Several parts of Limpopo province like the rest of the country are battling with drugs and substance abuse that wreak havoc mostly among young people who often lose their self-control once become addicted. As a result desperate parents and relatives go around looking for help. But with few registered rehabilitation centres available; people often fall pray to unscrupulous institutions.
And at the moment, Limpopo lacks exact records of how many privately owned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operate as rehabilitation facilities within its borders, Timeless News has learnt.
“Yes there are privately owned centres but we don’t keep a database of those not registered yet. We have five centres that are privately owned and registered,” said Joshua Kwapa spokesperson for the province’s social development department.
“People can know the registration status and the suitability of a rehab centre by checking with the department (of social development). Some are registered only as non-profit organisations (NPOs) and mostly deceive the public that they are registered as treatment or rehabilitation centres,” Kwapa warned.
For an organisation to be officially recognised a rehab (short for rehabilitation) facility there is always a checklist which includes among others, feasibility study, admission criteria, house rules for residents ( facility users), medical and psychiatric treatment, food certificate, inspection report from health department together with other several requirements, he advised.
In an ugly incident allegedly at one of the centres whose registration status is currently a subject of police and social development department investigations Jacob Sekgotla 28, a client died after he was reportedly assaulted by the owner claiming to cure him from drug addiction.
According to police, Sekgotla was reportedly severely beaten by the owner of Appreciate Disciplinary Camp in Ga-Sekgopo near Tzaneen last month but died later in Mankweng hospital where he was being treated for injuries.
Appreciate Makhubele 30 who ran the centre was arrested and charged with murder in the Modjadjiskloof Magistrate’s Court on 30 July. He is out on R2000 bail and would appear again in court on 18 September.
Appreciate Disciplinary Camp had since been shut down by police and provincial social department officials for operating without accreditation.
