The Department of Home Affairs opened its new branch at the Pavilion Shopping Centre in Westville, Durban on Monday afternoon.
KwaZulu-Natal Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube joined the Minister of Home Affairs Dr Aaron Motsoaledi to officially open office.
Commenting shortly after the official opening, Ms Dube-Ncube said the launch of the office was “a game-changer” in terms of how government can provide services to its citizens.
The new office will be at the mall’s parking level, near the centre’s NuMetro cinema and will be run on an appointment-only basis, offering passport and ID services. No walk-ins will be allowed, said the Pavilion mall’s Lungile Gwagwa.
“There is a demand for a Home Affairs office here because we have been having a lot of enquiries. People are interested,” she said.
The department has begun opening branches in popular shopping malls across the country. The minister had initially mentioned this in his 2022/23 budget speech.
“Our people stand in ugly and unyielding long queues, even in the rain or the scorching sun. They even struggle to find parking for their cars. As an immediate relief measure, we have been engaging with several malls in the country,” he said.
Last week, the minister officially opened a new Home Affairs office at the Cresta Shopping Centre in Randburg as part of “concerted efforts to improve access to services for clients”.
Earlier in March 2023, he opened an office at the Menlyn Shopping Centre in Pretoria East, that provides smart ID card and passport services to clients on the go as they shop.
