After the Continental Hotel Building was put on the market for either lease or outright sale, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration approached the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication to make an offer for a hire purchase agreement for the building on behalf of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.  After the structural soundness of the building was confirmed, permission was obtained from Treasury in the Ministry of Finance to go ahead with the deal.
The Ministry was planning to construct new head quarters at an estimated cost of N$200 million.  Acquiring the Continental Hotel Building will cost N$18.1 million, representing a saving of N$172 million that could be used for other capital projects.
Against this background, Cabinet approved the acquisition of Erf 1745,
Continental Building, Windhoek for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Immigration.