By Karen Breytenbach
Pending a court application to keep its doors open, the controversial Noupoort drug rehabilitation centre is again in trouble after the sudden resignation of two counsellors and the subsequent departure of a number of patients.
The Noupoort Christian Care Centre (NCCC) confirmed that 10 of its 170 patients had either been checked out by their parents last week or had run away.
An independent source however estimated that close to 50 patients had left the centre.
Dave and Isabel Barber denied inciting patients to leave, but the centre's management is adamant that the defectors "succumbed to their propaganda".
Barber was replaced last Monday by Steven Alexander de Kiewiet, a counsellor who holds a masters degree in biblical studies and is now completing a masters in clinical psychology.
Isabel Barber said: "All we're prepared to say is that we weren't happy there and it was time for us to move on with our lives. We didn't expect the kids to run after us. They just arrived on our doorstep and we told them we couldn't harbour them."
Lukie Carelse, spokesperson for the centre's director, Pastor Sophocles Nissiotis, said Barber left the centre in 2004 while in charge of the centre's detention barracks, after being implicated in the death of patient Logan Klingenberg.
He was allowed to return last year after he was found not guilty.
The couple in the meantime ran their own small rehabilitation centre in the isolated Karoo town of Noupoort.
Said Carelse of Barber's performance as NCCC chief of staff: "He said he believed he had a contribution to make and we took him back. But we soon realised he wasn't making the cut. We felt he'd lost his passion and patience. He was irritable and showed the kids that he had lost faith in them, despite being rehabilitated at the school himself."
Carelse said Barber was "politely asked to leave", but in retaliation he phoned a number of parents, "influencing them" to fetch their children.
"Many of these kids are vulnerable and will use any excuse to go back to the streets. Barber made up lies about terrible conditions, bad food, etcetera, but he was in charge until a week ago. Besides, the government sends a team of inspectors every month," said Carelse.
In reaction Isabel Barber said: "We're not prepared to bad-mouth anyone, but we believe over time, God will expose what's going on at Noupoort. Where there's smoke there's fire."
According to Carelse conditions are good and pupils are making progress. In December 15 of Noupoort's 16 Grade 12 pupils passed matric, four with distinctions, while all Grade 10 pupils passed the year.
Last March the Pretoria High Court ordered the department of social development to grant the centre a temporary registration certificate, pending a review application against their decision to close Noupoort for abusing human rights.
This was on condition that the department monitor the centre during the following 18 months.