South Africa Disconnects Electricity At Nigerian High Commission Over ‘Unpaid Bills’

The South African Government has cut off electricity to the Nigerian High Commission over unpaid utility bills.

The Mayor of Tshwane, Nasiphi Moya, confirmed the action in a post shared on X on Monday.

She explained that the move is part of the city’s ongoing #TshwaneYaTima campaign, which targets individuals and institutions owing large sums for municipal services.

According to the mayor, the Nigerian High Commission owes the city money for services rendered, leading to the disconnection.

“#TshwaneYaTima: We’ve disconnected electricity at the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They owe the city for utility services,” the tweet reads.

This is not the first time the Nigerian mission in South Africa has faced such action.

In 2023, City Power, the country’s electricity distributor, also disconnected supply to the Nigerian consulate in Johannesburg over an outstanding bill of about R600,000 (roughly $35,000).

Reports also indicated that in September last year, the High Commission was again cut off from the public power grid due to unpaid electricity charges.

At the time of filing this report, the Nigerian High Commission has not released any statement addressing the latest disconnection or outlining steps to clear the reported debt.

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