were ever conducted whilst in Hurungwe District 3% revealed that they did not
know anything about such campaigns.
4.16 Single parents and orphans in Birth Registration processes
The issue that single parents faced major challenges in attempting to register
their children emerged from 75% of female respondents in Bindura. The
percentage was 82% in Hurungwe. However, some women noted that they had
no problems registering their children as single mothers. A self-proclaimed
commercial sex worker in Ward 5, Hurungwe District, stated that she was
having problems registering her children from different male partners because
of what she considers to be strict registrations against women like her.
However, this is not correct because in Section 12 of the BDRA there is
provision that single mothers can register their children using their maiden
names.
It was said that minor orphans faced the challenge of getting relatives who were
prepared to help them get birth registration (Dhanabakium v Subramanian).
Reasons for these challenges range from reluctant and disinterested relatives to
those cases where there are disputes between the late father’s and the late
mother’s families.
4.17 Access to education and other social services for unregistered children
It was noted in the research that that many children cannot sit for public
examinations because generally, schools do not enroll children who do not have
birth certificates. The research showed that some very talented unregistered
children used their sibling’s birth certificates to be entered into school sporting
activities and competitions. There was a consensual view that unregistered
children had limited access to many social services such as further education,
obtaining other documents such as driver’s licenses, passports or getting
employed.
87% (321) of adult respondents stated that from birth, unregistered children
were disadvantaged because the absence of a birth certificate deprives a child of
evidence of their name, age, place of birth, his her parentage and ultimately
his/her citizenship. The RGs officials in Bindura stated that a birth certificate
was critical because it is a requirement when one is applying for national
documents like a national I.D. or a passport which bestow citizenship on the
holder.
4.18 Non-Zimbabwean and refugee children
The major challenge for non-Zimbabwean or refugee children comes when their
parents do not possess identity documents themselves, such as birth certificates
or IDs. JCT’s case files confirm this situation in Bindura District where a large
number of non-Zimbabweans were said not to have birth registration
documents. This makes it very difficult for them to obtain birth certificates for
their children until they themselves become registered. In Hurungwe District
Birth Registration Research Report/2007
42
Select target paragraph3
Add to table of contents