1. 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. 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. 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. 4 ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE Registrar General Central Registry 10 x Provincial Registries 72 x District Registries

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

6. 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. 7 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Lobbying for policy formulation Awareness campaigns Office construction Donations of furniture and equipment Participation in registration activities

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

9. 9 THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS