Germiston Home Affairs Fire: Key Documents Safe, Mobile Services Deployed

MS Mamokubung Moroke, the provincial manager of Home Affairs in Gauteng, described the extent of the destruction.
“This is huge damage to property and assets within the building,” she said. “The worst damage occurred on the first floor, where our administration and immigration services are located. The ground floor — where clients are assisted with Smart ID cards, passports, and other documents — did not catch fire, but suffered extensive water damage from firefighting efforts.”

Documents and Services Affected

While most key documents, such as Smart ID cards and passports, remain safe in secure storage, certain files were not so fortunate. Moroke confirmed that applications for late registration of birth were among the casualties, as those records suffered irreparable water damage.
“We will be requesting clients with affected applications to resubmit,” she noted.

Business continuity plans are already in motion. From Wednesday, mobile Home Affairs trucks will be stationed at the Alberton and Germiston offices to assist clients with pending applications. Priority will be given to those whose appointments were disrupted on the day of the fire and to clients who already had scheduled appointments for the following days.

The department is also set to release a public notice later today to provide guidance for clients who wish to collect their IDs or passports.

Rebuilding Timeline Uncertain

The Germiston Home Affairs office operates from a leased building, meaning refurbishment will depend on the landlord, insurance claims, and formal departmental processes.Ms Moroke could not provide an estimated reopening date.
“This is something the department and the landlord will have to address. For now, our focus is ensuring clients get the services they need,” she explained.

Public Assurance

For those concerned about service interruptions,Ms Moroke stressed that assistance will continue across various Home Affairs offices in Ekurhuleni.
“All clients who were supposed to be attended to today will be assisted at other offices. We will make sure there is no further inconvenience,” she said.

As firefighters wrapped up operations on-site and police maintained security, the charred remains of the Germiston office stood as a stark reminder of the intersection between service delivery and social tensions. While investigations continue, displaced clients are urged to follow official Home Affairs communications for the latest updates on where and how to access their services.