The home affairs building in central Germiston in Ekurhuleni caught alight on Tuesday morning amid protest action against evictions by some residents.
Fire and rescue services were alerted at 8am.
Ekurhuleni emergency services spokesperson William Ntladi said the top floor of the two level building was “well alight”.
“Resources are here from multiple stations with multiple vehicles and a number of firefighters.
“Firefighting suppression is in progress. Flames are under control.”
Ntladi said “President Street and Jack Street are closed to traffic and all the buildings in the area have been closed for safety and operational purposes”.
Action was taken to ensure the fire did not spread to neighbouring structures.
Protesters earlier blockaded President, Queen and Jack streets.
More than 400 families living in municipal-owned properties in Pharoe Park face eviction for nonpayment of rent, rates and taxes, Sowetan reports.
Ekurhuleni Housing Company 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 the entity'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 nonpayment.
This is a developing story
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