The Mayor of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, Nsiphi Moya, on Monday, called out the Nigerian High Commission in the country for defaulting on utility bills.
Ms Moya, in a post on X, announced that the commission has been disconnected from power over its outstanding debt.
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This move is part of the #TshwaneYaTima campaign, a revenue-collection and debt-recovery initiative launched by the Tshwane authorities, which includes Pretoria, the country’s capital.
The initiative is designed to force payment of overdue municipal bills, especially for electricity, water, and other services, by disconnecting those who owe money until they pay or make arrangements.
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“Ya Tima” is slang meaning roughly “to cut off” or “we switch it off,” referring to cutting services for non-payment.
The campaign targets households, businesses, estates, government departments, and large institutions that have failed to settle outstanding bills.
In the post about the Nigerian High Commission, Ms Moya wrote, “#TshwaneYaTima: We’ve disconnected electricity at the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They owe the city for utility services.”
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However, hours later, the Mayor made a follow-up post announcing that the Nigerian commission had cleared its debt, noting that electricity would be restored to the building.
“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.
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This is not the first time the High Commission has been thrown into darkness for defaulting on its utility bill.
In late 2025, the commission was disconnected from the electricity grid due to its inability to pay accumulated electricity charges, highlighting ongoing payment issues.
Similarly, in 2023, City Power, an electricity distributor, cut off power to the Nigerian consulate in Johannesburg over outstanding electricity bills reportedly totalling around R600,000 (about $35,000 at the time).
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