Births and Deaths Registration Act
Zimbabwe
(b)
the person in charge of any hospital or other institution in which the birth or still-birth
occurred; or
(c)
the headman appointed in terms of section 8 of the Chiefs and Headmen Act [Chapter 29:01]
for the community in which the birth or still-birth occurred, where he had knowledge of such
birth or still-birth; or
(d)
any person who has attained the age of eighteen years present at the birth or still-birth; or
(e)
in the case of a birth, any person who has attained the age of eighteen years having charge of
the child; or
(f)
such other person as may be prescribed;
to give notice of the birth or still-birth in the prescribed form to the registrar of the district in which
the birth or still-birth, as the case may be, occurred.
(2)
12.
Notice in terms of subsection (1) shall be given—
(a)
in the case of a birth, within forty-two days from the date of the birth;
(b)
in the case of a still-birth, as soon as possible but in any case within thirty days of the stillbirth.
(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
the birth or still-birth.
(4)
In the case of a still-birth, the medical practitioner or the midwife, as the case may be, who was in
attendance at the still-birth or who examined the body of the child shall sign a certificate stating
that the child was still-born.
(5)
The certificate referred to in subsection (4) shall be given to a responsible person referred to in
subsection (1) by the medical practitioner or midwife whose signature it bears by personal delivery
or registered post.
(6)
A responsible person shall give notice of a still-birth by—
(a)
delivering to the registrar the certificate referred to in subsection (4); or
(b)
making a declaration in the prescribed form to the effect that no medical practitioner or
midwife was present at the still-birth or examined the body and that the child was not born
alive.
Registration of birth of a child born out of wedlock
(1)
Notwithstanding section eleven, no person shall be required to give information acknowledging
himself to be the father of a child born out of wedlock.
(2)
A registrar shall not enter in the register the name of any person as the father of a child born out of
wedlock, except—
(3)
(a)
upon the joint request of the mother and the person acknowledging himself to be the father
of the child; or
(b)
if the mother of the child is dead or has abandoned or deserted the child, upon the request of
the person acknowledging himself to be the father of the child; or
(c)
if the alleged father of the child is dead, upon the joint request of the child’s mother and a
parent or near relative of the alleged father.
A request in terms of subsection (2) shall be made in the form and manner prescribed.
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