The owner of an Elsies River rehab centre and two of his staff will appear in the Goodwood Magistrates’ Court today on assault charges after a client had nails chopped in his feet.
The case follows a separate investigation into the murder of another client, Igshaan Philander, 35, who was beaten, set alight and his body dumped in Philippi.
Tears of disbelief flowed at his janaazah on Thursday as the shocking news that he had been tortured, sprayed with sanitiser and set alight spread.
The Tafelsig man’s family had been allegedly lied to by the rehab who said he had run away.
A source close to the investigation says Igshaan had been battling with a tik addiction and his family had booked him into the Synergy Rehabilitation and Upliftment Centre in Ruyterwacht.
“On Sunday, the rehab told his family that he ran away and they went to Elsies River Police to open a missing persons docket,” says the source.
“They were desperate to find him and reached out for posters to be made but the next day a body was found on Varkensvlei Road and later they discovered it was Igshaan.
“The police went to the rehab where one ou just broke down in tears and confessed that they beat him up and murdered him.
“He and a 15-year-old laaitie told cops that they dumped his body and told his family lieg stories.”
The source claims the rehab owner knew about the murder and allegedly assisted the duo in dumping the body.
Over 30 clients have since been taken home by police and the rehab has been shut down.
Police spokesperson, Captain FC van Wyk, confirms that a missing persons docket had been opened.
He says when the investigating officer arrived at the centre in Louis Botha Street, he was approached by other patients complaining about abuse and assault.
“A case of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH) was then opened after a 35-year-old victim alleged that he’s a patient at the rehabilitation centre and he was assaulted, nails hit in his feet, his hands tied and sanitiser was sprayed on him and then he was set alight.
“Two suspects aged 15 and 40 were arrested.”
He says Igshaan’s body was discovered at a mortuary, and no arrests have been made for his murder yet: “The case has since been updated to a murder which is currently under investigation.”
On Wednesday police indicated that a third suspect, the 37-year-old owner, had also been arrested for assault on the 35-year-old.
Igshaan, a father of one, was laid to rest at Klip Road Cemetery.
Speaking to the Daily Voice ahead of the janaazah, his grief-stricken father said the family was not yet ready to speak to the media but described his son as a “people’s person”.
Meanwhile, social development MEC, Sharna Fernandez, has appealed to the public to only use registered substance abuse treatment facilities, saying the Synergy rehab in Ruyterwacht was an illegal operation.