The Durban and Coastal Mental Health Home is under fire for the second time this month, as more people continue to make allegations against it.
These range from sexual abuse to ill-treatment and exploitation of patients.
The home is the largest mental health institution in South Africa. It has seven centres around Durban alone, and cares for people who are mentally-ill or have physical disabilities.
Earlier this week the institution was accused of sexually abusing a patient. The claim was made by relatives of the victim.
Another family which chose to remain anonymous told the SABC that the institution used patients as security guards.
One of the patients who works as a security guard at the Phoenix branch of the institution in the north of Durban says he works from Monday to Sunday and earns R300 per month.
He says” “I stay inside here, and only in the morning, I work from 10 o’ clock to 2 o’ clock. They pay R300 monthly. I work everyday.”
In response to the allegations regarding the security staff, the institution says it uses patients as security guards as part of psycho-social rehabilitation and economic integration.
It claims that they are supported by staff.
However, the SABC can confirm that there was no one supporting these patients at the centres it visited.
