In an attempt to cut down the long queues at Home Affairs offices across the country minister Aaron Motsoaledi has announced that his department plans to introduce home affairs branches in shopping centres.
During his budget speech last week, Motsoaledi said that while his department is in the process of building new branches, the introduction of Home Affairs outlets inside shopping malls will provide much needed relief in high volume areas.
Motsoaledi also said that by operating Home Affairs offices in malls it will ensure that clients do not have to queue in the sun or rain and the malls will also provide convenient and safe parking.
“Since the malls still have to move some tenants around to make way for Home Affairs, we will install our equipment there around September this year. We shall start with the Menlyn Mall in Pretoria and then roll out to the rest,” he said.
Residents in the Western Cape will be able to also find a Home Affairs office in the Tyger Valley Shopping Centre in Cape Town.
The deputy minister of Home Affairs, Njabulo Nzuza said during his speech that the he recently piloted Branch Appointment Booking System and it is proving to be the solution in as far as dealing with the management of queues. The Branch Appointment Booking System can be accessed by clients through the Home Affairs website and is web based.
It provides citizens with the ability to book the dates and time slot of their choice. The Paarl branch is part of the pilot project, which is only used to book for applications of passports and Smart ID cards.
Residents can also apply for their identity documents at the following banks in the Cape Town area: FNB Greenpoint, Nedbank St Georges Mall, Standard Bank Mitchell’s Plain Promenade, FNB Portside and at the Standard Bank Canal Walk.
However residents should take note that no walk-in’s are allowed at banks. Residents can only visit a bank branch once they have made an online application and booked their visit.
