Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya’s post on X announcing the city’s move targeting Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Facility over an alleged R8 million utility debt has sparked a heated dispute with the Department of Correctional Services. 

The department has disputed the claim, accusing the mayor of making public pronouncements without verifying facts. 

The mayor’s office has yet to comment on the allegations.

Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo slammed Tshwane for attempting to disconnect electricity at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre, citing an incorrect account statement.

“It is not only disturbing but deeply humiliating that the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane once again chose to make public pronouncements via social media, alleging that electricity would be disconnected at a correctional facility, without ensuring that the facts were verified,” he said.

Posting on X on Friday, Moya said: “We are at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility for #TshwaneYaTima. The prison owes the city close to R8 million for utilities.” 

But according to Nxumalo, city officials were left red-faced after arriving at the facility with an incorrect account statement, attempting to disconnect electricity over an alleged debt. 

He confirmed that no electricity disconnection took place, and Tshwane officials were compelled to withdraw after acknowledging their error pointed out by the department managers.

“This incident clearly demonstrates a lack of due diligence and basic verification before drastic action is taken and published on social media. The apparent eagerness to disconnect electricity, particularly at a  critical national facility such as a correctional centre, without confirming the accuracy of billing information raises serious questions about the city’s administrative processes and intentions,” Nxumalo said.

He called for Moya to publicly correct the record and apologise for the city’s mistake. 

“It is therefore expected that the Executive Mayor will display the same enthusiasm in publicly correcting the misinformation, admitting that the city’s facts were wrong, and offering a humble apology to the Department of Correctional Services and the public at large.

The continued fixation on the Department of Correctional Services by the City of Tshwane, particularly on incorrect grounds, creates the impression of a deliberate attempt to discredit the Department,” he said.

Nxumalo claimed the department is being singled out and treated as a primary target by Moya.

“If the invocation of the Department’s name is considered politically or publicly expedient, then such actions must, at the very least, be grounded in verified facts and exercised with the requisite level of responsibility and due diligence,” he said.

He explained that correctional facilities are critical state institutions responsible for public safety and national security.

 “They should not be subjected to reckless public statements or administrative missteps that undermine their operations and credibility,” he said.

Tshwane’s Human Settlements MMC, Aaron Maluleka, said the correctional services centre was among institutions visited by the municipal team as part of the Tshwane Ya Tima revenue collection campaign on Friday morning to recover unpaid municipal debt from government departments.

“We visited Sita,we went to SAPS in Pretoria West college, and we further went to Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Services and our last stop was at the Department of Labour. All these departments acknowledged their debts and they have made commitments to pay what is due to the city. We encourage more departments to work with us, especially those that are looked after by Public Works to come forward and work with our department of finance to collect these monies,”  he said.

He explained that the city’s efforts to collect debts aim to fund service roll-outs to communities.

“We are not doing this programme to embarrass any department. We encourage departments to work with our finance department to ensure that their debts are settled. We are owed R2 billion that is with the  government departments and this is the programme that we will continue to do,” Maluleka said.

On Sunday MMC for Health, Tshegofatso Mashabela, revealed on X that the Department of Correctional Services last paid its municipal debt in June 2025, adding that since then the department’s accounts have escalated due to non-payment.

“Ironically, government institutions now top the list of defaulters. This conduct undermines cooperative governance and places unnecessary strain on municipal finances. We expect formal correspondence accompanied by proof of payment not excuses.

We have made a commitment to pay our workers, and we will honour that commitment by collecting every cent owed to the city. If necessary, we will begin publishing the names of government institutions that owe the city millions, because accountability cannot be selective,” Mashabela said.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

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