[GRAPHIC WARNING] HRC defends Limpopo church raid

The Human Rights Commission has defended its decision to raid and rescue alleged suspected drug addicts from a church compound at Moletji village outside Polokwane in Limpopo.

Over 50 suspected drug addicts who were chained and forced to do hard labour as a form of rehabilitation were rescued from a church called ‘No Smoking’, on Tuesday night.

They were taken to hospitals and rehabilitation centres. Police had to use a grinder to release them from the chains.

Human Rights Commission’s Provincial Head, Victor Mavhidula says, “The Department of Health and Social Department is here. They will have to arrange for them to go to rehab, where you will not be chained, where you will be treated by proper doctors, because we can’t leave them like this.  This indicates that we as government institutions are failing our people because we can’t allow people to be chained like animals, it can’t be that way.”

Mavhidula says, “We don’t have any problem with rehabilitation, that must be made clear because you need help but they can’t be chained, they are not animals, they are human beings, this is a violation of basic rights, your right to human dignity is being violated.”

The HRC has raided a church compound at Moletji in Limpopo where alleged drug addicts are chained and forced to do hard labour as a form of rehalibitating them. Some were rescued and taken to hospital and rehabilitation centers while others refused to go. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/j4VFx2DfPL

— rudzani tshivhase (@RTshivhase) February 4, 2020