CIVIL REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS SYSTEM IN ZIMBABWE

1. CIVIL REGISTRATION AND VITAL STATISTICS SYSTEM IN ZIMBABWE BACKGROUND • Independence 1980 • Area 390 759 square kilometres • Population 11 631 657 (2002 census). Current CSO projection – 12 347 238 • 1890 civil registration started • Civil registration mandatory for white settlers until 1980.

2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK • Births and Deaths Registration Act [Acts 11/1986, 7/1994] • Children’s Act [Chapter 5:06] • Guardianship of Minors Act [Chapter 5:08] • Marriage Act [Chapter 5:11] • Customary Marriages Act [Chapter 5:07]

3. LEGAL FRAMEWORK continued • Brands Regulations, 1998 [SI 99 of 1998] • Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act [Chapter 4:01] • Constitution of Zimbabwe • Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] • National Registration Act [Chapter 10:17]

4. ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE • Registrar General • Central Registry • 10 x Provincial Registries • 72 x District Registries

5. TECHNICAL SETTINGS • Centralised set up • Decentralised functions • Computerisation programme • Trained and skilled employees

6. GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT • Civil registration is a wholly government responsibility • Government funding of all registration activities • Government policy e.g. decentralisation • Coordination with other government departments and local authorities on major civil registration activities

7. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT • Lobbying for policy formulation • Awareness campaigns • Office construction • Donations of furniture and equipment • Participation in registration activities

8. MAJOR CHALLENGES • Inadequate budgetary allocation • Inadequate office and staff facilities • Inadequate furniture and equipment • Need awareness campaigns • Insufficient telephone data lines

9. THANK YOUANDGOD BLESS