Cape Town residents will soon be able to access selected Home Affairs services from a new appointment-only office at the Civic Centre in the city centre, following the official handover of the site by the City of Cape Town last week.
The office, which will be operated by the National Department of Home Affairs, will be located on the second floor of the Civic Centre on Hertzog Boulevard, next to the City’s cash office.
Construction work is expected to begin shortly, with the facility anticipated to open before the end of July.
The handover ceremony was officiated by the City’s mayoral committee member for corporate services, Theresa Uys, who described the development as an example of how collaboration between different spheres of government can improve access to essential public services.
“We are delighted to hand over this site to the National Department of Home Affairs so that construction can commence to prepare the office for operations. To minimise disruption to our customers and visitors, building work will take place after hours, over weekends, and on public holidays.
“It is truly remarkable what we can achieve when the different spheres of government collaborate. The possibilities are endless, and in this instance, I am grateful that we can improve our service delivery to Capetonians with streamlined, appointment-based access to a critical government service at the Civic Centre.”
The City’s Economic Growth Directorate, in consultation with the Corporate Services Directorate, obtained council approval for the project and is finalising a lease agreement with the department.
James Vos, the City’s mayoral committee member for economic growth, said the agreement highlights the value of making strategic use of municipal assets.
“This property transaction demonstrates good governance in action. By optimising our property assets, we ensure that City-owned land and buildings are leveraged in a way that delivers the greatest possible benefit to communities, supports economic activity, and unlocks long-term value for residents,” he said.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Leon Schreiber said the new office forms part of the department’s “Home Affairs @ home” initiative aimed at improving access to government services closer to where people live, work, and travel.
“ In less than three months, our bank branch partnership has expanded to 171 bank branches and processed more than 182 717 Smart ID applications, demonstrating the impact of making services available where people live, work, and travel. As we continue to expand access, we are making Home Affairs more accessible and delivering dignity for all South Africans.”
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