Government has strongly condemned the torching of a Home Affairs office in Germiston on Tuesday morning, allegedly by protestors.
According to reports, protesters in the Germiston CBD allegedly set fire to the Home Affairs building during clashes over evictions as residents allegedly demanded to occupy Pharoe Park flats without paying rent.
Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) Acting Director-General, Terry Vandayar, said vandalism undermined the hard-won rights and freedoms of South Africans and unfairly burdened taxpayers with the cost of repairs.
“Such acts of vandalism undermine the very rights and freedoms that South Africans have fought hard to secure and place an unnecessary burden on taxpayers who will ultimately bear the cost of repairs.
“While the Constitution guarantees the right to protest, it must be exercised in a peaceful and lawful manner that respects the rights of others and safeguards public property.
"Violence and destruction are not acceptable means of expressing grievances, and will not be tolerated," the Acting Director-General said.
Speaking to the media at the scene, William Ntladi, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni Disaster and Emergency Management Service, said they received calls about the fire just after 8am.
He said the two-storey building had been severely damaged and there were no injuries reported.
“The top section is the one that is well alight. The bottom one - we’re still battling to break in and see what’s happening. Resources are here, multiple fire stations, with multiple vehicles, and a number of firefighters are on site,” he said.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that the department was gathering evidence and would open criminal charges against those responsible for setting the block of flats on fire.
“Home Affairs is collating evidence and will open criminal charges against the anarchists who set a block of flats on fire in Germiston, which then spread to the neighbouring Home Affairs office. It is nothing less than an attack on our social infrastructure and cannot stand,” the Minister said. – SAnews.gov.za
