Register your newborn – you only have 30 days
Any registration of a birth after 30 days is a late registration and is unlawful in terms of the applicable legislation.
HOME Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba has pleaded with parents to register the birth of their children early, according to a recent statement.
As from the new year, registering births after 30 days will be more costly and more burdensome; a birth certificate is free within the first 30 days.
“Make it easy for yourself, register your child’s birth before leaving the hospital,” said the minister.
According to Home Affairs’ Ugu regional manager Terry Kotze, “Notice of a birth has to be given within 30 days of the birth. Any registration of a birth after 30 days is a late registration and is unlawful in terms of the applicable legislation.
“Currently there are no penalties attached to a late registration of birth, however from January 1, 2016 penalties will be imposed in order to deter people from being negligent and to contribute to the costs associated with the additional checks and verification which will be conducted,” said Mr Kotze.
Parents are also encouraged to apply online at any of the 389 health facilities across the country which provide mothers with the opportunity to register the births before they are discharged.
Mr Kotze said Port Shepstone Regional Hospital has provided office space for an official from the local Home Affairs office to register births and issue birth certificates ‘on the spot’.
“Only one parent is required when registering a birth. In the case where parents are married, the child will automatically take the surname of the father. However, in the case of a child born out of wedlock, the child will assume the surname of the mother.”
He added that the child can assume the father’s surname if both parents appear in person before a Home Affairs official and agree to the child being registered with the father’s surname.
“For children born before March 2013, parents need to apply for unabridged birth certificates in order to replace the old abridged birth certificate that contained only the name and ID number of the newborn baby, as well as that of the mother. The application fee is R75 for this category and the process takes about six weeks,” said the minister.
According to the department the exact amount for penalties still needs to be confirmed by Treasury.
