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.
1
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
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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
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Registrar General
Central Registry
10 x Provincial Registries
72 x District Registries
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TECHNICAL SETTINGS
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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
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Lobbying for policy formulation
Awareness campaigns
Office construction
Donations of furniture and equipment
Participation in registration activities
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MAJOR CHALLENGES
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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
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