Chapter 5:02 BIRTHS AND DEATHS REGISTRATION ACT 14 Registration of birth of adopted child born outside Zimbabwe Where an order has been made under any law for the adoption of a child born outside Zimbabwe, the Registrar-General shall, on the application of the adopter and on production of— (a) the order of adoption or certified copy thereof; and (b) the birth or baptismal certificate of the child or a certified copy thereof or, if no such certificate is available, such documentary evidence relating to the birth of the child as he considers sufficient; and (c) the form prescribed for use in connection with the registration of a birth, completed as far as may be possible and signed by the adopter; and (d) proof that the adopter or, in the case of a joint adoption, the male adopter, was a citizen of Zimbabwe at the date of the order of adoption; cause the birth of the child to be recorded in his register and in the register of births of the district in which the order of adoption was made and shall cause the fact of adoption and a statement as to whether the name of the adopter was or was not conferred on the child by virtue of the adoption to be recorded on the form referred to in paragraph (c) and filed in his office and to be recorded against the entry of the birth in the register of births of the district in which the birth was recorded. 15 Notice of birth of abandoned child If any new-born living child is found abandoned it shall be the duty of any person who has attained the age of eighteen years finding such child or, failing such person, of any person over the age of eighteen years in whose charge it may be placed, within forty-two days of finding such child or, as the case may be, taking charge of it, to give to the registrar of the district in which such child was found or taken charge of, notice of the birth in the prescribed form and to furnish to the best of his knowledge the prescribed particulars. 16 Registration of birth where place or date thereof unknown Where notice of the birth of any person is given under this Act but at the time of the giving of such notice the place or date of such birth, or both, are not known, the Registrar-General, after due inquiry, may direct the registration of such birth notwithstanding the lack of such information and may assign to such child a putative place or date of birth, or both, as the case may be. 17 Notice of birth given by persons who are not responsible persons Notwithstanding section eleven or fifteen, the Registrar-General may permit notice of birth to be given in terms of either of the said sections by a person other than a responsible person if the Registrar-General is satisfied, on production of such evidence as he considers necessary, as to the information contained in such notice. 18 Change of name in register (1) In this section— “responsible parent” means— (a) if the father of the child 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 born out of wedlock, the mother of the child; (b) in any other case, the father of the child. (2) Where the birth of a person has been registered in any register of births and— (a) the forename which was registered is changed otherwise than by adoption; or 6

Select target paragraph3