South Africa cuts power supply to Nigerian High Commission over debt

South African authorities have disconnected electricity supply to the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria over outstanding utility payments.

The Mayor of Tshwane, Nasiphi Moya, announced this via a post on X on Monday, February 2, 2026.

The mayor disclosed that the disconnection was carried out under the city’s ongoing #TshwaneYaTima campaign, which targets government institutions, businesses, and individuals with long-standing unpaid bills.

“We’ve disconnected electricity at the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. They owe the city for utility services,” Moya wrote.

Moya later announced that power would be restored after the mission settled its obligations, thanking the Nigerian High Commission for paying the debt.

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“We thank the High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for honouring its debt to the city. The city will reconnect electricity,” she stated.

The latest incident adds to a series of similar disconnections involving Nigerian diplomatic facilities in South Africa.

In 2023, the electricity distribution company in Johannesburg, City Power, cut electricity to the Nigerian Consulate after the mission accumulated debts of about $35,000.

The Nigerian High Commission was also disconnected from public electricity supply in September 2025 over unpaid utility charges.

The Star