Note to Editors: Please find a soundbite in English here from DA MPL Refiloe Nt’sekhe MPL
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi misled the residents during his State of the Province Address (SOPA) yesterday when he stated that the Tswa Daar Anti Substance Abuse campaign was a success. The Dr Fabian and Florence Ribeiro Treatment Centre in Cullinan has been standing empty since December 2025 after the relocation of patients due to renovations at this centre. With substance abuse challenges escalating in Gauteng, this development raises concerns about the management of state-funded treatment facilities.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) discovered this during a recent oversight inspection at the centre following a tip-off from a whistleblower, who told us that even though the facility stands empty, employees are still being paid, social workers are being appointed despite having no patients to serve, and kitchen contracts costing significant sums remain active.
When Premier Panyaza Lesufi re-launched the Tswa Daar campaign, there was acknowledgement that Gauteng is in the grip of a substance abuse crisis. Approximately 600 patients were admitted to the Ribeiro centre, which has a capacity of only 200 patients and is the largest state-run facility in Gauteng.
Instead of the promised rehabilitation, a chaotic and distressing situation unfolded, as the centre struggled to cope with severe bed shortages, inadequate nutrition, and poor security, even with the reinforcement of the Amapanyaza. This led to male patients having contact with female patients which is against the rules of the facility.
Yes, drugs are destroying our communities; however, acting without a proper and considered plan, as seen with the implementation of Tswa Daar, is disastrous. Since the Tswa Daar fiasco, the Rebeiro Centre is empty. Given that three different sections of the centre are under renovation, the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD) could have done this in phases to ensure that patients continue to receive rehabilitation.
The DA will submit questions to the Gauteng Social Development MEC, Faith Mazibuko, to find out why renovations were not carried out in phases and how the department is accounting for and monitoring the patients transferred out of the Rebeiro centre.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would have prioritised the well-being of those trapped in substance abuse by ensuring that rehabilitation facilities are fully functioning, well-resourced, and effectively managed to serve the people who need them most. This can be done!