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The Public Servants Association (PSA), representing the majority of employees at the Germiston Department of Home Affairs, is extremely concerned about safety measures following a devastating fire that destroyed the facility on 12 August 2025.
 
Preliminary reports indicate that the incident occurred during violent protests linked to eviction operations at the nearby Pharoe Park flats, where residents had been occupying municipal housing without paying rent. During clashes between protestors and law enforcement agencies, a petrol bomb was allegedly thrown into the Home Affairs building, sparking a fire that rapidly engulfed the premises.
 
The two-storey building sustained severe damage, with the upper section completely destroyed and the lower floor water-damaged owing to firefighting efforts. Authorities have indicated that critical documents such as passports and identity records stored in safes may have been preserved. Two suspected were arrested by the police in connection with the incident and face charges of public violence, arson, and malicious damage to property.
 
The destruction of this vital service centre will disrupt operations and force members of the public to seek essential Home Affairs services such as identity documents, passports, and birth certificates at alternative branches in Boksburg or Edenvale, placing additional strain on those facilities and members of the public.
 
The PSA is relieved to confirm that no employees of the Department were injured in the incident. PSA officials conducted an on-site inspection and will continue to monitor developments. The PSA calls on the Department of Home Affairs to provide urgent trauma counselling and support to affected employees, engage the PSA in determining interim work arrangements, and implement measures to ensure continuity of service delivery at alternative sites.
 
The PSA strongly condemns this criminal act and urges law enforcement agencies to ensure that those responsible are prosecuted. Acts of violence and destruction of public infrastructure jeopardise the safety of employees and undermine the provision of essential public services. The PSA further calls for improved security measures at Department of Home Affairs offices to ensure that employees and critical documents are protected.

Issued by the Public Servants Association