When police brought the situation under control, Baloyi had already allegedly set alight three benches that had been reduced to ashes.

Claiming to have been camping at the Union Buildings’ garden for more than a month with the hope of meeting the president, Baloyi said making an appointment with the president was not easy and he had had enough.

“I demand president Ramaphosa to come here and talk to me,” Baloyi said.

He said he knew that the government only listened to people “when they express themselves in a violent manner”.

He, however, did not clearly explain the reason he wanted to meet the president.

One of the people camping at the Union Buildings, who preferred to remain anonymous, said he previously heard Baloyi saying he would set the Union Buildings alight.

“I heard him in the past few days saying that he would set this place on fire, but I did not take him seriously,” he said.

He said he only realised that the man was serious when he actually set the Union Buildings’ property alight.

Baloyi, who had an intention to set all the benches in at the Union Buildings’ lawn alight, prevented the Tshwane firefighters from extinguishing the fire saying the firefighters would never extinguish the fire he had started in his presence.

This prompted the Tshwane metro emergency services department to first call the police before the firefighters could execute their duties.

On their arrival, the police took control of the scene and the situation to allow the firefighters to extinguish the fire.

Spokesperson for Tshwane emergency services Charles Mabaso confirmed that the firefighters extinguished the fire successfully.

“We sent our guys and they extinguished the fire,” Mabaso said.