Mayor Moya Enforces Debt Recovery As Nigerian High Commission Pays Utility Arrears
Electricity Cut at Nigerian Mission
THE Mayor of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Nsiphi Moya, has disclosed that the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa was disconnected from electricity supply over unpaid municipal utility bills.
The announcement was made on Monday via the mayor’s verified X account, where she confirmed that the diplomatic mission was among defaulters targeted by the city’s ongoing revenue-recovery drive.
Enforcement Drive Explained
The action was taken under the #TshwaneYaTima campaign, an aggressive debt-recovery initiative aimed at improving municipal revenue collection. The campaign focuses on disconnecting services such as electricity and water for entities that fail to pay their municipal bills.
The initiative applies broadly to private households, businesses, estates, government departments and large institutions within the Tshwane municipality, which encompasses Pretoria.
“Ya Tima,” a local slang phrase meaning “to switch off,” underscores the municipality’s resolve to enforce payment compliance without exemptions.
Public Call-Out by the Mayor
In her post, Mayor Moya directly referenced the Nigerian High Commission, stating that electricity had been disconnected due to unpaid utility charges.
The public nature of the disclosure attracted attention, particularly given the diplomatic status of the institution involved.
Settlement Reached Within Hours
Later the same day, the mayor announced that the Nigerian High Commission had cleared its outstanding debt to the city.
“We thank the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for honouring its debt to the city. The city will reconnect electricity,” she wrote.
Following the payment, the municipality restored power supply to the High Commission.
Recurring Utility Payment Issues
The latest disconnection adds to a history of similar incidents involving Nigerian diplomatic facilities in South Africa.
In late 2025, the Nigerian High Commission was reportedly disconnected from electricity over accumulated arrears. Earlier, in 2023, City Power cut electricity supply to the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg over unpaid bills estimated at about R600,000 at the time.
These repeated incidents have raised questions about the management of utility obligations by Nigerian diplomatic missions and the increasing willingness of South African authorities to enforce payment through service disconnections, regardless of institutional status.
