WATCH | Govt building set ablaze during eviction protest

A home affairs office in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, has been set alight by protesters who are against their looming eviction from a block of flats due to R200m in rental debt.

The residents have also blockaded President, Queen and Jack streets. 

Ekurhuleni disaster and emergency management services spokesperson William Ntladi said: “Behind me here is home affairs building that is well alight. This is a two-story building. Now, the top section is the one that is well alight. We are still battling to break in and go and see what is happening,” Ntladi said around 9am.

“Multiple stations with multiple vehicles and a number of firefighters are on site. President Street and Jack Street are closed for traffic and all the buildings nearby have been closed for safety and operational purposes.”

The protest is linked to looming evictions at Pharoe Park, where residents are reportedly attempting to forcefully occupy flats without paying rent.

More than 400 families living in municipal-owned properties face eviction for non-payment of rent, rates and taxes.

Ekurhuleni Housing Company (EHC) said tenants collectively owe more than R200 million in debt accumulated over the past 20 years.

EHC CEO Zingisani Nkamana said the city has approached the court on an urgent basis seeking to evict tenants from Pharoe Park as part of a broader strategy to recover revenue.

In May, he told Sowetan that the company’s operations have been placed under severe financial strain due to rental and municipal arrears. “One thing we have prioritised is evictions of non-paying tenants. This will help us lease those units to paying tenants and move the company towards financial sustainability,” Nkamana said, adding that evictions are being used as a last resort after years of non-payment.

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