Speaking during the launch of the decentralisation of birth and death certification in kabwe today Home Affairs Minster Hon. Stephen Kampyongo said his Ministry issued the birth and death general amendment rules of statutory instrument No. 44 in June of 2016 to decentralise the certification so that provincial and district registrars are given powers to issue birth and death certificates.
“birth certificate is an important document that gives people an identity, to this effect government through my Ministry has been implementing 2015/2019 strategic plan to ensure all vital events such as births and deaths are registered and certified by 2030” said the Minister
The Minister acknowledged the importance of these two certificates stating that to lessen the burden of issuance in Lusaka which led to long delays government is setting up two other printing centres in Ndola on the Copperbelt and Choma in Southern province will be operationalised.
Birth registration is more than just a right. It’s how societies first recognize and acknowledge a child’s identity and existence, it is also key to guaranteeing that children are not forgotten, denied their rights or hidden from the progress of their nations
And Hon. Kampyongo further thanked cooperating partners UNICEF for always complimenting government’s efforts towards birth certificates registration. He said UNICEF has always been there to help in registering children at birth.
UNICEF in conjunction with the government through the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health has been working to centralise the birth registration service through public health system and simplifying the process for those applying.
In 2012 UNICEF and the Zambian government came up with Programmes to address the reasons that led to this challenge such as unawareness of the relevant laws or processes, cultural barriers, and the fear of further discrimination or marginalization. Today UNICEF is using innovative approaches to support governments and communities in strengthening their civil and birth registration systems.
Meanwhile Central Province Minister Hon. Sydney Mushanga thanked the Patriotic Front government under the leader of His Excellency President Edgar Chgawa Lungu for being a responsive government who are working to ensure that Zambians across the country enjoy equal rights in the acquisition of social amenities and other vices entitled to them.
“where we coming from Zambians cried for decentralisation process to ensure that service delivery cuts across all but its only under President Lungu that the Decentralisation Process has been actualised in this country” he said
He said the decentralisation will also encourage Zambians to do the registration as it will be done in a short time.
1. Make the issuance of these documents computerised. A citizens records should be accessible through a computer system from every citizenship office. It’ll be faster to replace once lost or issuing for the first time.
2. Issue NRC Card Numbers at the time of birth. With the introduction of dual citizenship it’s important that NRC Card Numbers be issued at the time of birth to curb illegal accessing of the National ID as in the case of that Congolese musician.
But of all things, you can only de-centralise issuance of Birth and Death certificates? Come on guys. There are better things you need to decentralise…
Impyongo yabuka. This is good news, away from fire tender misadventure
THAT IS WELCOME NEWS
Kambwili will tell you that there is one guy at state house who only has a birth certificate and the other only certificate he is waiting for is a death certificate.