Home Affairs responds to viral Tyger Valley Office incident: Security removed, while records show lady did not have a valid appointment
The viral Home Affairs video
Image: Snippet
The Department of Home Affairs has reacted to a widely shared video on social media showing a woman being forcibly removed from a Home Affairs office at Tyger Valley Centre in Cape Town.
The 1 minute and 30 second video, which circulated on Thursday, begins with a woman being pushed out of the department’s offices by security personnel, causing her to fall to the ground. In the footage, the woman can be heard, visibly distressed and out of breath, saying:
“I have confirmed appointments and I have it on my phone and they are shoving me out of the door. They broke my specs and broke my handbag. They are shoving me out the door, I can’t get my leg out. I made my appointment online, I got confirmation and you are pushing me out here. This is unacceptable.”
The video was accompanied by a post claiming that the woman, another female client and a male client all had confirmed online bookings but were told their names did not appear on the list held by officials.
According to the post, when they asked officials to verify their reference numbers on the system, they were allegedly refused assistance and forcibly removed. The post further alleges that the woman was injured during the altercation with security and that officials and security personnel pushed the group when they asked for help.
Reacting to the incident, Thulani Mavuso, spokesperson and Deputy Director-General: Operations for the Department of Home Affairs, said the department is aware of the “distressing incident” involving a client and private security personnel at the Tyger Valley branch.
“We recognise that the images in the video are upsetting, and we sincerely regret the trauma this incident may have caused to the woman involved and to members of the public who have seen the footage. No one should experience or witness such treatment when seeking government services,” Mavuso said.
However, Mavuso added that according to the department’s records, the individual involved did not have a valid appointment on the official Home Affairs booking system.
“It appears that she was misled into purchasing an appointment slot from a third party. This practice is illegal and exploitative, and the Department’s Counter-Corruption Unit is actively investigating those responsible,” he said.
Mavuso reiterated that all Home Affairs booking appointments are free and issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
The department confirmed that the private security guard involved in the incident has since been removed. Mavuso said the department is reviewing the circumstances surrounding the incident to ensure that similar situations are prevented in future.
“We urge members of the public not to pay anyone for booking slots and to report such scams to the Department. The Department of Home Affairs remains committed to improving access to services and ensuring that every person is treated with dignity and respect,” he said.