Nearly 200 people, including children, were freed from an unregistered rehabilitation center in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. According to local media, some were held in chains and denied food. Police arrested a pastor and his wife, who allegedly ran the facility, infohub.kz reports.

The center operated at a church in the Waterval-B area of Siyabuswa, Eyewitness News reports. Social services staff discovered the people during an inspection on October 15 and called the police.

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

According to eNCA, the couple initially responded reluctantly to inspectors' questions and claimed they were housing only 60 people "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 rooms were overcrowded, sanitary facilities were insufficient, and water taps were locked. Some people had ulcers on their bodies. According to the publication, some of those at the center were chained to each other.

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

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

According to Reuters, 14 people were taken for medical care. Police are investigating the circumstances of their stay at the center, 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 center came from settlements on the outskirts of Johannesburg and Rustenburg. This information is still being verified.

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