EFF Eastern Cape slams Home Affairs for moving its Buffalo City office to Hemingway’s Mall, calling it anti-poor and unfair to working-class residents. The party has labelled the move as anti-poor, selective, and a direct attack on working-class and rural communities who rely heavily on accessible government services.
The temporary Oxford Street shelter had served as a central location for thousands of residents needing documents like IDs, birth and death certificates, and travel permits. While not ideal, its accessibility made it a lifeline for people in surrounding areas. The decision to relocate to Hemingway’s Mall, a private commercial centre far from the city centre, has sparked outrage for what the EFF calls “an irrational and exclusionary act by a government increasingly disconnected from the people.”
According to the EFF, residents from areas such as Mdantsane, Duncan Village, Amalinda, Scenery Park, Ncerha, Berlin, and Mooiplaas will now be forced to spend between R40 and R70 in transport just to reach the new office, a burden many cannot afford. “This move effectively tells the poor, ‘if you can’t afford to come to us, then you don’t deserve the service’,” the party said.
The EFF also expressed concerns about the suitability of Hemingway’s Mall as a venue for high-demand public service. The mall has limited public seating, no dedicated infrastructure to manage long queues, and a history of security profiling young black people. “This is not a public space designed to serve the masses — it’s a commercial environment where profit comes first, not people,” the statement read.
Adding to the controversy is the lack of transparency surrounding the deal. The EFF questioned whether Home Affairs is paying rent to operate at Hemingway’s, and if so, how much. “Why are millions of rands potentially being spent on leasing space in a private mall when public buildings in the CBD stand empty or underutilized?” the party asked. “This smacks of financial mismanagement or even corruption, benefitting private landlords at the expense of the poor.”
The EFF views the relocation as part of a broader trend by government to abandon public spaces in favour of private convenience. “Instead of investing in fixing and maintaining government infrastructure in the city centre, the state is choosing to hide itself in malls, far from where the people live,” the party stated.
EFF is demanding an immediate suspension of the relocation, full disclosure of all costs and contracts involved, a transparent investigation into alternative options that may have been ignored, and a public consultation process involving affected communities and transport organizations.
The party has vowed to mobilise its members and affected residents to protest the move, insisting that access to government services should never be determined by one’s income or proximity to elite commercial zones. “A people’s government does not run away from the people. It meets them where they are — in townships, rural villages, and working-class communities,” commented EFF.
