Tshwane mayor under fire for switching off power at Weskoppies Hospital

City of Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya has been heavily criticised for switching off electricity at the Weskoppies Hospital due to an over R1 million debt.

On Monday, 5 May, Moya accompanied the metro municipality’s electricity teams, which disconnected various customers for failing to settle their bills, including the psychiatric hospital in Pretoria.

SWITCHING OFF ELECTRICITY AT WESKOPPIES HOSPITAL LABELLED INHUMANE

Moya took to X to share that they disconnected the psychiatric hospital due to a R1.2 million electricity debt.

“The fourth stop for Tshwane Ya Tima is in the CBD. This facility owes the City of Tshwane R1 million. We’ve switched them off. We encourage all customers who have outstanding bills with the city to settle them,” she wrote on X as she shared videos of electricity being disconnected at the hospital.

Although the facility is equipped with backup power and was never without electricity, Moya’s announcement was met with mixed reactions as some accused her of being inhumane while others questioned why the Gauteng Department of Health had not settled the bill.

Lawyer and social runner, Tumi Sole said, “whilst enforcement is key, are we not creating a bad precedent here with legal consequences? Would an arrangement not have been preferred or explored instead?” he wrote on X.

Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member of Parliament Naledi Chirwa urged Moya to switch the electricity back on at Weskoppies Hospital saying she is punishing the wrong people over governance issues.

“Perhaps you guys should send invoices on time. Explore court processes first when it comes to institutions like hospitals. Switching off electricity at a hospital is extremely inhumane. There’s no logic in punishing sick people for governance issues. Switch those lights back on,” she wrote on X.

“I have no political axe to grind, but this hits home personally. Are you putting the lives of medical and other staff at risk by creating a potential flashpoint? (My daughter is a medical intern doing her psych block right now – albeit in a different province.),” Michael Atkins also commented.

“There are people being paid millions a year to run that hospital, that includes making sure that their bills are paid, we just going to brush off that incompetence? government entities must be the ones to be switched off first, so they lead by example, the mayor must run the city,” @kabelodick also wrote.

Likewise, @tshepopxm said, “South Africans are so used to incompetence that those who enforce rules are made villains. Gauteng Department of Health should hold its management accountable for not paying for utilities.”

POWER SUPPLY SWITCHED BACK ON

Power supply at the hospital was switched back on within hours as the Gauteng Department of Health confirmed that a payment was already made.

“We can confirm that the processing of the R1.2 million owed to the City of Tshwane for March and April electricity consumption was already underway at the time the municipality effected credit control and disconnected Weskoppies Hospital on Monday, 5 May 2025,” the Gauteng Department of Health said.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE TSHWANE MAYOR’S DECISION TO SWITCH OFF ELECTRICITY AT WESKOPPIES HOSPITAL?

Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1.

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