Authorities in South Africa’s City of Tshwane briefly disconnected electricity supply to the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria over outstanding utility bills, before restoring power after the diplomatic mission settled the debt.
The disconnection was confirmed on Monday by the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Dr Nasiphi Moya, who disclosed the action in a post on X, citing the city’s intensified enforcement of credit-control measures.
“We’ve disconnected electricity at the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They owe the city for utility services,” Moya said.
The Nigerian High Commission was among several institutions affected by Tshwane’s ongoing clampdown on unpaid municipal accounts. The enforcement drive has targeted private residents, businesses, government departments and state-owned entities, with city authorities maintaining that no organisation is exempt from meeting its financial obligations, regardless of diplomatic or institutional status.
Shortly after the disconnection, Mayor Moya announced that the matter had been resolved following payment by the Nigerian mission.
“We thank the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for honouring its debt to the city. The city will reconnect electricity,” she said in a follow-up post, confirming that power had been restored to the premises.
Tshwane has faced persistent revenue pressures in recent years, largely due to unpaid municipal bills amounting to billions of rand. In response, the city launched the #TshwaneYaTima initiative to enforce stricter credit-control measures, including electricity disconnections and reconnections tied directly to the settlement of outstanding debts or formal repayment agreements.
City officials argue that the policy is essential to stabilising municipal finances, maintaining infrastructure, meeting obligations to service providers and ensuring the continued delivery of basic services to residents.
The Nigerian High Commission did not immediately comment on the incident. However, the prompt settlement of the outstanding bill and swift restoration of electricity indicate efforts to quickly resolve the issue and avert any potential diplomatic complications.
As of the time of filing this report, the mission had yet to issue an official statement. Normal operations at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria have since resumed following the reconnection of power.
