A new facility for registration of births has been opened by the Department of Home Affairs at the Newcastle Provincial Hospital.
“The civic registration office we are officially opening today is one of many that signify our commitment as the Department of Home Affairs, working with the Department of Health, to ensure that all new-born babies are registered on the spot at a health facility where they are born,” said Deputy Home Affairs Minister Njabulo Nzuza.
The deputy minister made his remarks on Friday at the official opening of the facility in Newcastle, third-largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Birth registration is fundamental to the efficient determination and safe-guarding of the identity and status of all people born in South Africa.
The birth certificate is a necessary document required for citizens to access all vital government services and to enjoy the full benefits of South African citizenship.
“Thus far, we have established a presence in 391 health facilities across the country for the registration of births, of which 322 are public and 69 are private health facilities,” said Nzuza.
“The Newcastle Provincial Hospital service-point is one of the public health facilities capacitated to register and issue out birth certificates on the spot.”
“Within the next two years, we aim to roll out an online birth registration system in all 1 445 public health facilities with maternity wards nationally.”
The deputy minister said this development would in the future ensure that all children born are issued with a birth certificate before their discharge from hospitals.
Officials who attended the opening of the facility in Newcastle included Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Sibongiseni Dhlomo,
Member of Parliament Dudu Sibiya, and Newcastle Provincial Hospital CEO Khulekani Dlamini.
Representatives from the National Council of Provinces and local government, senior managers from the Newcastle Provincial Hospital, and the Department of Home Affairs were also in attendance.
