In a shocking breach of legal and moral duty, the City of Tshwane has plunged Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital into darkness by cutting off its electricity supply — a direct violation of a standing Pretoria High Court order.
The hospital, which cares for vulnerable psychiatric patients, was left without power today as part of the City’s aggressive “Tshwane Ya Tima” campaign targeting non-paying entities. But this move goes far beyond billing enforcement — it disregards a binding 2023 court ruling that prohibits electricity disconnections at public hospitals, schools, and police stations, even during nationwide load-shedding.
The High Court made it unequivocally clear: essential public institutions must not be subjected to power cuts under any circumstance. Yet, Tshwane ignored this directive, endangering the lives and dignity of some of society’s most vulnerable individuals. At a psychiatric hospital, where continuous care, medication storage, and patient safety depend on electricity, such actions are not only illegal — they are inhumane.
This is not just an administrative failure. It’s a human rights issue.
The decision to cut power at Weskoppies reflects an alarming level of disregard for both legal authority and basic compassion. South Africans deserve better from those entrusted with public services. Our hospitals are not collateral in a billing dispute — they are lifelines.
The City of Tshwane must be held accountable.
