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The Noupoort drug rehabilitation centre in the Karoo is to be subjected to a third probe into the welfare of children at the facility, following reports of mistreatment.
Rapport newspaper reports that the investigation comes, after the High Court in Kimberley received an affidavit from the University of Pretoria's Centre for Child Law, containing allegations of excessive punishment and violation of children's rights.
In the affidavit, the Centre for Child Law reported on interviews it conducted with all 19 children at Noupoort.
It found that the children were not receiving proper therapy; that parents are being forced to hand over guardianship to the centre; as well as that excessive punishments were being carried out, including instances where schooling, warm clothing and blankets were withheld.
On Friday, Judge Mpho Mamosebo ordered the department of social development to provide a report within 90 days on the children's circumstances.
Similar probes conducted in 2001 and 2002 resulted in the department deciding to close the centre.
However, in both cases, the drug centre challenged the decision in court and won.
