Births and Deaths Registration Act
19.
20.
Zimbabwe
Re-registration of births of persons born out of wedlock.
(1)
Where any person has been registered as born out of wedlock and evidence is presented to the
Registrar-General satisfying him that, by operation of any law, the person must be regarded as born
in wedlock, the Registrar-General may on application authorize the re-registration of the person’s
birth, and such re-registration shall be effective as though the person had been born in wedlock at
the time of the initial registration.
(2)
An application for re-registration in terms of subsection (1) may be made by either of the parents of
the person concerned, whether or not he has attained the age of eighteen years, or, if either or both
of his parents are dead, by his nearest relative or legal guardian.
Responsibility for giving notice of death occurring in Zimbabwe
(1)
Whenever a person dies it shall be the duty—
(a)
of every relative who has attained the age of eighteen years present at the death or in
attendance during the last illness of such person; or
(b)
if there are no such relatives as are referred to in paragraph (a), of every relative who has
attained the age of eighteen years dwelling within the district in which such person died; or
(c)
if there are no such relatives as are referred to in paragraph (a) or (b), of—
(i)
every person over the age of eighteen years present at the death; or
(ii)
the occupier and every inmate over the age of eighteen years of the house in which the
death took place, where such occupier or inmate has knowledge of the death; or
(iii)
the headman appointed in terms of section 8 of the Chiefs and Headmen Act [Chapter
29:01] for the community in which the death took place, where he had knowledge of
the death; or
(iv)
every person over the age of eighteen years who has buried or caused to be buried the
body of the deceased person; or
(v)
such other persons as may be prescribed;
to give notice of the death of such person in the prescribed form to the registrar of the district in
which such person died.
(2)
The notice given in terms of subsection (1) shall be given as soon as possible but in any case within
thirty days of the death.
(3)
The giving of notice by any of the responsible persons referred to in subsection (1) shall be a
discharge of the duty under that subsection of any other person referred to therein to give notice of
death.
(4)
A medical practitioner who examined the body of the dead person or, if no such examination
occurred, a medical practitioner who attended the person during his last illness, shall, unless he
believes the death was not the result of natural causes, sign a certificate stating the cause of death
to the best of his knowledge and belief.
(5)
The certificate referred to in subsection (4) shall be given to a responsible person referred to
in subsection (1) by the medical practitioner whose signature it bears by personal delivery or
registered post .
(6)
A person referred to in subsection (1) who receives the medical certificate of the cause of death
given in terms of subsection (4) shall, as soon as is reasonably possible after receiving the
certificate, deliver it or cause it to be delivered to the registrar of the district where the death
occurred.
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