Rehab centre run like a ‘prison camp’ is set to be shut down

Hillview Manor, a Midvaal drug rehabilitation centre accused of “prison camp” conditions, is being shut down by the department of social development following an investigation into the organisation’s fitness to treat patients.

The probe determined the centre was unlicensed, was treating minor patients alongside adults, which is not permitted, and also informed the facility to stop certain punishments – but facility director Cheryl Verster denied they had instituted any prison-type conditions, saying they “have rules in place to prevent chaos” which “are signed for prior to admission”, and stressed that they had submitted all the required documentation to the department to resolve the registration issues.

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