The Department of Home Affairs offices in Germiston remain in disarray following a devastating fire that gutted the building on Monday morning, destroying assets valued at approximately R15-million.
It is believed that a group of angry protestors who had been evicted from a government property threw petrol bombs at the building, and it caught fire. Two people have been arrested over the incident.
Perpetrators to face justice
Visiting the scene on Tuesday afternoon, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Njabulo Nzuza condemned the incident as an act of barbarism. He called for those responsible to face justice.
“This is an act of barbarism, and I don’t think that it should be supported. No one under any circumstances can support damaging of property like this. The value of the assets we had here was just about R15-million. And some of them have been gutted by fire,” said Nzuza.
The fire primarily ravaged the first floor of the double-storey building, which housed the immigration wing.
“That is our immigration wing. Where they process illegal immigration, immigration applications, and inspectorate. All of that is gone because of some irresponsible people who decided to come and burn this building,” Nzuza stated.
Birth, immigration records destroyed
He noted that while smart identity cards were spared, secured in a strong room, critical documents related to late birth registrations were completely destroyed.
“The papers that have to do with late birth registration have all been destroyed,” he added.
To mitigate the disruption, Nzuza announced that all Home Affairs services have been relocated to the Alberton office. He also addressed a widely publicised case involving a couple who were at the Germiston office on Monday to register their marriage. He assured them they would receive priority assistance.
“Everyone who came here must now be directed to Alberton. Specifically for that couple, we will take interest in them. And we will make sure that they get the assistance they need,” Nzuza promised.
He said no timeline has been confirmed for when renovations will begin.
Meanwhile, Ekurhuleni MMC for Human Settlements Kgopelo Hollo gave an update on ongoing evictions in the area. He stated that 80% of non-paying tenants have been removed.
Non-defaulters spared eviction
Addressing claims from evicted residents that they had been paying rent, Hollo dismissed them as false.
“Our records are clear, that is why there are people who remained behind because they have been paying. If they were paying, then they were not paying to the city. They were paying to someone else, and they do not want to disclose them. They must show us faces. The police are here, and we will make sure that they recover their money,” he said.
Road still closed as a result of the fire.// Photo by Coceka Magubeni
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