CITIZENSHIP OF ZIMBABWE ACT (8) For the purposes of this section, a person shall be regarded as— (a) of full age if he has attained the age of majority or if, being under that age, he is or has been married; and (b) of full capacity if he is not of unsound mind. AND WHEREAS section 9 of the Constitution provides that an Act of Parliament may make provision in respect of citizenship: NOW, THEREFORE, be it enacted as follows:— PART I PRELIMINARY 1 Short title This Act may be cited as the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act [Chapter 4:01]. (3) For the purposes of this Act, any reference to citizenship of a foreign country shall include a reference to citizenship of one or more foreign countries.2 PART II REGISTRAR-GENERAL OF CITIZENSHIP 2 3 Interpretation (1) In this Act— “foreign country” means any country other than Zimbabwe; “former citizenship law” means— (a) the Citizenship of Zimbabwe Act [Chapter 23 of 1974]; or (b) the Citizenship of Southern Rhodesia and British Nationality Act, 1963 (No. 63 of 1963); or (c) the Citizenship of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and British Nationality Act, 1957 (Federal Act No. 12 of 1957); or (d) the Southern Rhodesia Citizenship and British Nationality Act, 1949 (No. 13 of 1949); or (e) the law relating to naturalization in force in Zimbabwe before the 1st January, 1950; “Minister” means the Minister of Home Affairs or any other Minister to whom the President may, from time to time, assign the administration of this Act; “oath of loyalty” means the oath of loyalty in the form specified in Schedule 1 to the Constitution; “person under legal disability” means a person who is not of full age or sound mind; “Registrar-General” means the Registrar-General of Citizenship referred to in section three; “responsible parent”, in relation to a child, means— (a) if the father is dead or the mother has been given custody of the child by virtue of a law relating to the guardianship of children or the child is illegitimate, the mother of the child; or (b) in any other case, the father of the child. (2) For the purposes of this Act— (a) a person shall be regarded as being of full age if he has attained the age of eighteen years or if, being under that age, he is or has been married; (b) a person shall be regarded as not having attained a specified age until the commencement of the relevant anniversary of the day of his birth; (c) any period of residence, event occurring or thing done before the 18th April, 1980, in the area which on that date was included in the external boundaries of Zimbabwe shall be treated as though it were a period of residence, event occurring or thing done, as the case may be, in Zimbabwe; (d) a person shall be regarded as ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe if he has lawfully and voluntarily established his usual place of residence in Zimbabwe, otherwise than as a visitor, with the intention of remaining therein. Registrar-General of Citizenship (1) There shall be a Registrar-General of Citizenship, whose office shall be a public office and shall form part of the Public Service. (2) The Registrar-General shall perform such functions as are conferred upon him in terms of this Act. PART III ACQUISITION OF CITIZENSHIP BY REGISTRATION 4 Applications for registration of persons of full age and sound mind (1) Subject to this Part, the Minister may authorize the registration of a person as a citizen of Zimbabwe if that person— (a) is of full age and sound mind; and (b) applies for the Minister’s authority in the prescribed form and manner; and (c) satisfies the Minister that— (i) he is of good character and a fit and proper person to be registered as a citizen of Zimbabwe; and (ii) at the date of his application, he is ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe and has been so resident, whether continuously or as an aggregate of a number of periods, for at least five years: Provided that, if the President considers that the special circumstances of any particular case so warrant, he may authorize the Minister to accept a shorter period of residence; and (iii) he intends, after the grant of his application, to continue to reside in Zimbabwe, subject to the exigencies of his employment; and (iv) he is willing to renounce any other citizenship he may hold if he becomes a citizen of Zimbabwe. (2) No period during which a person who applies for the Minister’s authority in terms of subsection (1) was confined to or was an inmate of a prison, reformatory, mental hospital or other such institution in Zimbabwe or resided in Zimbabwe as a visitor shall be counted for the purposes of that subsection as a period of residence in Zimbabwe. (3) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting in any way the entitlement of a person referred to in section 7 of the Constitution to be registered as a citizen of Zimbabwe. 5 Applications for registration of persons under legal disability If the responsible parent or guardian or other lawful representative of a person under legal disability who is not entitled in terms of subsection (3) of section 7 of the Constitution to be registered as a citizen of Zimbabwe— 2 Reissue July 2001 Subsection inserted by s. 2 of Act 12/2001. [Chapter 4:01]