About 200 people, including children, were rescued from an unregistered rehabilitation centre in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. According to local media, some were held in chains and deprived of food. Police detained a pastor and his wife who allegedly ran the facility, Reuters reports. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

According to Eyewitness News, the rehab was located at a church in the Waterfall-B area of Siyabuswa. Social services staff discovered the people during an inspection on 15 October and called the police.

The next morning, law enforcement detained the 59-year-old pastor and his 58-year-old wife. They are suspected of kidnapping, running an unregistered medical facility, and violating sanitary norms and safety requirements. The couple is expected to appear in court on 19 October. Investigators do not rule out further arrests and additional charges.

As eNCA reports, the couple initially answered inspectors' questions reluctantly and claimed they had only 60 people staying with them "for prayers." In reality, about 200 people were found there.

Among those rescued were an 11-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl, Eyewitness News writes. The premises were overcrowded, sanitary facilities were insufficient, and water taps were locked. Some people were found with ulcers on their bodies. According to the publication, some of those in the centre were chained to each other.

Social services representative Toko Mahlangu told eNCA that people were placed in the centre against their will. Some rooms lacked light and ventilation. After the inspection, the department decided to close the facility.

"We decided to close the centre immediately," Mahlangu said.

According to Reuters, 14 people were sent for medical care. Police are investigating the circumstances of their stay at the centre, but in a comment to the agency did not confirm reports of chains and food deprivation.

eNCA reports that some of those rescued have already been reunited with their families. People with injuries and signs of mental health problems were taken to hospital. Social services are establishing the circumstances of each person and determining what assistance they need.

According to preliminary police data, many of the people found at the centre came from settlements on the outskirts of Johannesburg and Rustenburg. This information is still being verified.

Earlier, Kursiv reported that a trial had begun in Nigeria for suspects in the kidnapping of 39 schoolchildren.