Germiston Home Affairs Torched During Eviction Protests: Two Arrested, Rubber Bullets Fired

Tensions boiled over in Germiston on Tuesday as eviction protests erupted into violence, leaving the city center in turmoil. Police and Ekurhuleni metro police officers responded to unrest sparked by the removal of residents from the Pharoe Park residential complex.

Two people were arrested for arson after a fire broke out at the Home Affairs building during the chaos. Gauteng deputy police commissioner Maj-Gen Fred Kekana, who was on the scene, confirmed the arrests. Officers fired rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators, while firefighters battled fierce flames consuming the building.

Officials from the Ekurhuleni Housing Company began loading trucks with evicted residents’ belongings — from pillows and beds to electronics and cupboards — after the city secured an eviction order in June. The City of Ekurhuleni said occupants had failed to pay rent and were given notice to vacate.

Germiston Home Affairs Services Disrupted by Blaze

The fire left many residents and visitors stranded outside the Home Affairs building, uncertain about the fate of their documents.

Anna Molefe from Vosloorus said she left home at 5am to collect her ID. “When we arrived this morning [the building] was burning and we couldn’t get an answer about what was happening. Will we get our ID documents or have they been burned in the fire?” she asked.

Some visitors had travelled long distances, only to be turned away as emergency services sealed off the area.

Wedding Day Turns to Disappointment — and Relief

Among those caught up in the disruption was a couple set to tie the knot at Home Affairs. Promise Nozibele, 32, and Nthabiseng Simelane, 29, had secured their appointment two months ago. The pair, who held a traditional wedding last November, arrived with their parents on Simelane’s birthday, only to find the building ablaze.

“We were disappointed,” they admitted — but relief came when a Home Affairs official promised to arrange for their marriage to take place at the nearest branch.

As firefighters continued to battle the blaze and authorities maintained a heavy police presence, the day’s events left Germiston shaken, with questions still swirling over the cause of the fire and the future of those evicted.

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