Stormwater Horror: Witness Links Rehab Owner to Dumped Baby Discovery

Local community rattled after alleged newborn discovery near controversial rehab centre

A grim discovery in a South Coast stormwater drain has shaken the local KwaZulu-Natal community and raised disturbing questions about what’s happening behind the gates of the Tetelestai Recovery Centre (TRC).

On 10 July, just a day after four suspects tied to the death of TRC inpatient Luke Edwards appeared in court, a motorist claims he witnessed something even more horrifying: the facility’s owner, Donovan de Klerk, allegedly dumping suspicious items near the roadside.

The witness, who says he knows De Klerk personally, told police that what he found inside that drain haunts him to this day.

A Blue Bag, CCTV Equipment and Something Far Worse

What started as a curious sighting quickly turned into a potential crime scene. After watching De Klerk toss several items into the stormwater drain around 7 to 10km from the TRC premises, the witness decided to investigate once De Klerk drove away.

Inside the drain, the man discovered CCTV cameras, cables, and a tightly wrapped blue plastic bag. What he saw next is almost too gruesome to recount.

“I took my longnose pliers, tore the bag open, and saw what looked like fresh blood,” he said. “I stepped back and thought, ‘what the f**k’.”

Inside the bag, the witness believes, was the lifeless body of a late-term foetus or newborn baby. He described it as large and covered in a yellowish substance. His passenger confirmed seeing the same thing during the incident.

Footage and photos viewed by The Citizen show the discarded camera equipment and the blue plastic bag surrounded by red blotches.

Public Shock and Social Media Outrage

Locals on social media are reeling from the news. Many are calling for the TRC to be shut down immediately, citing not only this incident but previous allegations of abuse and negligence at the centre.

“First Luke Edwards, now this? How many lives have to be lost before someone takes action?” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Others demanded answers from police and health authorities, questioning how such a facility has continued to operate under a cloud of controversy.

Police Investigation and Legal Denials

The South African Police Service confirmed that a lifeless newborn was found and an inquest docket has been opened. The parents of the child remain unidentified and no arrests have been made.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said investigations are ongoing.

Meanwhile, Donovan de Klerk, through his attorney Wesley Rogers, has denied all allegations.

“This information is categorically false. There is no evidence linking my client to any dumping, and if there were, he would have been charged,” Rogers stated.

He confirmed the case is being treated as an inquest, not a criminal matter, and that De Klerk’s name does not appear on any official documentation tying him to the scene.

However, The Citizen has reviewed witness statements that directly name De Klerk in connection with the dumping.

A former SAPS crime scene expert noted that it’s standard procedure to complete forensic and DNA analysis before interviewing or arresting any potential suspects.

A Centre Under Fire

Tetelestai Recovery Centre has been in the headlines before. Earlier this year, the death of patient Luke Edwards sparked a wave of protests and a court case, with four people currently facing charges.

Now, this latest development threatens to cast an even darker shadow over the facility.

Though De Klerk maintains his innocence, the unsettling discovery and the timing of it, has only deepened community mistrust.

Police are expected to release DNA results in the coming weeks. For now, the case remains open, and De Klerk remains a free man.

But in a town still grieving from one tragedy, the question many are asking is: how many more secrets lie beneath the surface?

Locked in, Shamed, and Exploited: Former Patients Say This Rehab is More Like a Cult

{Source: The Citizen}

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