Weskoppies power restored after being cut off
Electricity has been fully restored to the Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital after the Tshwane Metro disconnected the facility for failure to pay its debt of over R1-million.
In the statement released by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH), the department said it reached an agreement with the metro.
'The GDoH wishes to notify the public that the electricity supply at Weskoppies Hospital has been restored following an agreement with the City of Tshwane. The department's contingency plans ensured that services continued as per normal amid the electricity supply disconnection. We reiterate that patient care was never compromised during the hours in which the facility had to rely on its backup system of five generators and a solar system,' the statement read.
The disconnection took place on May 5 when the metro led by Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya, under the Thswane Ya Tima campaign, paid a visit to the hospital.
At the time, it owed R1.2-million to the city for consecutive months on non-payment.
The GDoH had stated that the money owed to the metro for March and April's electricity usage was underway at the time of the disconnection, and that not enough time had passed for the payment to reflect.
The delay was due to the transition to the new financial year, and the department said it had been in the process of paying multiple amounts to various service providers.
The move by the metro garnered mixed reactions from the public, who believe that this was a step too far, and cutting power to mentally-ill patients is a decision that should have been avoided.
Moya, however, remained adamant that government institutions that fail to honour their debts with the metro can expect a visit from them any day.
She has since addressed the backlash, saying that the decision was not taken lightly, though enforcing credit control is their responsibility.
The mayor acknowledged the vital role that hospitals play and assured residents that patient care was considered before the disconnection.
'I want to assure residents that the hospital's backup power systems remained fully operational during the disconnection, and patient care was not compromised. This was confirmed by the GDoH in its own public statement. I would not have allowed the disconnection if it would have left the facility without power and the subsequent impact on patient care,' Moya said.
Moya said the city did not act without due process out of good faith and had previously agreed not to proceed with disconnection, recognising the GDoH's financial year-end in March.
She said the metro accepted the GDoH's assurance that payment would be made in early April, and despite multiple follow-ups, no payment was received, leaving them with no alternative.
'Government departments currently owe the city more than R1.6-billion for services rendered. The city is beginning a recovery from a long period of financial distress, and our ability to deliver quality services to millions of residents depends on consistent revenue collection from all customer groups. Ensuring that everyone, including government departments, honours their financial obligations, is essential to sustaining service delivery for our residents,' Moya said.
She said the metro will continue to enforce credit control to create a culture of payment and accountability, and that no account in arrears would be spared, whether private, business or government.
Watch here:
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. @CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/0FS22OqAOO
— Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) May 5, 2025
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