Durban: New Home Affairs opening at Pavilion Shopping Centre

Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi will officially open a new Home Affairs office at The Pavilion Shopping Centre in Westville, KwaZulu-Natal, on Monday, 22 April. 

The department said opening new branches at shopping malls is part of its concerted efforts to improve access to services. 

NEW HOME AFFAIRS OFFICE AT THE PAVILLION SHOPPING CENTRE 

The opening of The Pavilion Shopping Centre Home Affairs follows the launch of offices at Menlyn Shopping Centre in Pretoria East in March 2023 and Cresta Shopping Centre in Randburg on 11 April. 

The Home Affairs office at The Pavilion Shopping Centre will offer clients smart ID card and passport services as they shop. 

IOL reported that the new office would be at the famous mall’s parking level near the NuMetro cinema. 

During the department’s budget speech for the 2022/23 financial year, Motsoaledi announced that they would do everything possible to provide the public with multiple platforms to acquire identification and travel documents from Home Affairs.

Motsoaledi said they aim to open another office at Tygervalley in Cape Town. 

Providing multiple platforms was mainly aimed at avoiding long queues – which – the department has become infamous for – and other attendant hardships.

To reduce long queues, Home Affairs announced its partnership with national banks to resolve two major issues, one being the department’s downtime. 

The application process starts online, and you can continue the process at your nearest bank. You can apply at these branches across the country. 

OPERATING HOURS EXTENDED AHEAD OF ELECTIONS 

Meanwhile, the Department of Home Affairs recently announced that its branches nationwide would open on Saturdays as the country heads to the polls on 29 May. 

Home Affairs spokesperson Siya Qoza said the branches will open for ID collection services, facilitation of new applications, and issuance of Temporary Identity Certificates.

Qoza said offices will also resolve challenges related to duplicates, amendments, rectifications, and dead-alive cases with the required supporting documents.

The offices will open from 8:00 to 13:00.

The extended operating hours started on Saturday, 6 April, and will run until 25 May, excluding 27 April.

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