Mobile units deployed after Germiston Home Affairs office torched

Some of the Germiston residents evicted from the Pharoe Park flats on Tuesday, say they still have no where to go.

Residents say they went without food, medication, and sent their children to bed hungry as they watched over their belongings in the cold.

Furniture and household items now line the streets as displaced tenants desperately search for shelter.

Some residents insist they complied with housing rules, yet still found themselves out on the streets.

Protesting over the evictions, some of the residents then torched the local Home Affairs offices.

The two-storey building, which served up to 500 people daily, has been destroyed — along with the district manager’s office.

The top floor mostly affected by the blaze, handled immigration matters.

Deputy Home Affairs Minister, Njabulo Nzuza, who visited the gutted offices, described the incident as a targeted attack that has left hundreds of people without essential services.

Nzuza condemned the torching of the building as barbaric and inconsiderate.

He says those responsible will face the harshest punishment.

It remains unclear whether the offices will be rebuilt on the same site or relocated elsewhere.

In the meantime, three mobile trucks have been deployed to the Germiston Civic Centre to help residents with ID and passport collections.

One of the residents, Senzo Dlamini, says due to the fire services have been heavily affected, as staff were forced to process documents manually.

Another resident, Thulisile Khanyile, says although she eventually received her smart ID, the service started off very slow.

Two suspects are expected to appear in the Germiston Magistrates Court tomorrow on charges of arson and destruction of public infrastructure.

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe