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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.

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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]

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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]

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ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

• Registrar General• Central Registry• 10 x Provincial Registries• 72 x District Registries

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TECHNICAL SETTINGS

• Centralised set up• Decentralised functions• Computerisation programme• Trained and skilled employees

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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

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PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

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

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MAJOR CHALLENGES

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

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THANK YOU

AND

GOD BLESS