Suspected protesters set fire to a Department of Home Affairs building in Germiston, Ekurhuleni, on Tuesday during demonstrations against their eviction from a municipal apartment block.
Residents of the Pharoe Park flats, accused of living rent-free, blocked streets and clashed with police as court bailiffs enforced the eviction. Police fired rubber bullets at stone-throwing protesters, while eviction workers cleared belongings from the premises.
Emergency services said the blaze, suspected to be arson involving a petrol bomb, caused part of the building’s roof to collapse. No injuries were reported, but nearby buildings were evacuated.
Home Affairs Minister Leon Schreiber condemned the attack as “nothing less than an attack on our social infrastructure” and vowed to file criminal charges. Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza warned that the arson would disrupt access to vital services, forcing residents to travel farther for documents.
Police are pursuing suspects linked to the fire and the unrest.