Revenue collection blitz targets Sunnyside’s defaulting properties
Officials disconnected water and electricity at schools, shops, pubs, and nightclubs, uncovering illegal connections and compliance breaches during a sweeping Pretoria Central operation.
Mayor Nasiphi Moya, alongside the MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, Kholofelo Morodi, embarked on a revenue collection spree in Sunnyside on September 8.
They had 50 job cards, targeting Sunnyside properties that, when combined, owe the city millions of rands for water and electricity.
“We are on an aggressive campaign to collect revenue and disconnect utility services for delinquent customers,” said Moya.
They stopped at the infamous House 22, where all of the shops had been closed previously.
“Criminals decided to reopen them. Now we are here to disconnect both water and electricity because again, they have illegally connected on top of not paying, so we’re here to shut it down,” said Moya.
“This is for those residents who say we are scared of Sunnyside, we are definitely not [scared of] Sunnyside, we were prioritising Pretoria West, and we are here now,” the mayor said.
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Some of the sites visited by the team were:
– A local primary school, illegally connected to electricity, owing R250 000.
– A general dealer, illegally connected to electricity, owing R700 000.
– A residential property owing R500 000.
– A spaza shop, shut down after receiving several contraventions on previous visits.
– A pub, shut down for operating in violation of health regulations.
– Another pub for not having a liquor licence, and fire regulation contraventions.
– A nightclub was shut down for operating without a business licence, fire certificate or health compliance certificate. The nightclub owes the city R100 000, and over R50 000 in cash was uncovered, hidden in compartments during the operation.
Moya said if the manager, who is registered, is not on site during the operation, they close it down.
Illegal immigrants were being taken to the police station.
“A lot is happening here; there is gambling, and they do all sorts of things.
“Sunnyside, you know how it is, it’s just a den of lawlessness, so we just need to deal with it head-on,” Moya said.
Morodi blamed the number of undocumented immigrants for the crime issues Sunnyside faces, and said that she and her team are aiming to shut down all illegal businesses.
“Residents who stay in Sunnyside, especially the student population, always complain about how unsafe it has turned out to be, and it’s populated by illegal immigrants all over. We want to make it clear – we are reclaiming our city back, we’re not here to nurse people’s feelings – South Africa is for law-abiding residents,” she said.
She said during the House 22 shutdown that the Nelson Mandela corridor is a high-value asset that is owned by the city, and that they issued eviction notices to the occupants, and disconnected water and electricity.
Watch here:
Residents of Tshwane, we’ve dedicated the entire day to deal with lawlessness in Sunnyside. We’ve closed down Hot Shots pub. If you have a liquor licence always make sure the manager who the license was issued to is present. This pub also doesn’t have a fire compliance… pic.twitter.com/enMasypA3Q
— Dr Nasiphi Moya (@nasiphim) September 8, 2025
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