Penalty for late child registration
Parents will now have to pay a penalty fee for their child's birth if they fail to register the birth within 30 days, the Department of Home Affairs said.
The Department of Home Affairs has enforced a penalty fee to parents who register their children’s birth after 30 days, the department said. The R70 penalty fee, which was enforced on 1 March, includes parents who register their children after the 30-day period but within a year. “It’s important for the National Population Register at all times to be fairly accurate and reliable, hence the importance of requiring people to register – whether it’s births, marriages or deaths,” said Deputy Minister Fatima Chohan.
The Home Affairs Department has situated itself in over 300 hospitals to ensure easy child registration. “Every child in terms of the constitution is deserving of citizenship and identity. We found that there is a shift to register a child within the first year,” she said.
In instances where parents were deceased, a legal guardian or next-of-kin may give notice of birth. For children born out of wedlock where the father is a not a South African citizen, the act requires proof of paternity. Proof of paternity will also be required when replacing a father in the National Population Register. “We see updating and strengthening legislation on birth registration as a fundamental step in protecting citizenship, identity and human rights,” Chohan said.
