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Freeman Razemba Senior Reporter

Zimbabwe will on Wednesday join other member states in Africa to celebrate the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics aimed at increasing public awareness of the importance of making everyone visible through a well-functioning civil registration and vital statistics system.

In a statement, the Civil Registration Department urged the public to take advantage of this day to obtain the identification documents.

“The Civil Registry Department wishes to inform the nation that Zimbabwe will be joining other African countries in commemorating Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day on Wednesday, 7 September 2022 in Harare Metropolitan Province under the theme “Harnessing coordination, country leadership and ownership to strengthen integrated CRVS systems: A vehicle for #CountingEveryone.

“This commemoration is in response to the resolution made at the Fourth Conference of Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration held in December 2017 in Nouakchott, Mauritania which declared August 10 as ‘Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day’,” reads the statement.

This resolution was endorsed by the African Union (AU) Executive Council during its 32nd Ordinary Session. “Zimbabwe thus joins the rest of Africa in celebrating this distinctive day, though belatedly. ONLY Africa CRVS Day is celebrated to increase public awareness of the importance of making everyone visible in Africa through a well-functioning civil registration and vital statistics system.

“Civil Registration is defined as the continuous, permanent, compulsory and universal recording of the occurrence and characteristics of all vital events: births, deaths, marriages and divorces. Civil Registration and Vital Statistics are essential for modern administrative systems and good governance, protecting human rights and creating an inclusive society. Equally, well-functioning CRVS systems provide continuous, reliable and disaggregated data at any geographical or administrative level. In addition, effective CRVS systems are also important for monitoring progress towards national and international development targets such as United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa Agenda 2063,” the department said.

The Civil Registry Department has, therefore, invited stakeholders and members of the public to the commemoration to be held at Rainbow Towers Hotel.

“The event will start with a procession from Simon Vengai Muzenda Street (Bus Terminus) into Jason Moyo Avenue to Rainbow Towers Hotel at 8am on 7 September 2022.

“A mobile registration centre will be established at Rainbow Towers and the Department will provide the following services: Birth registration; Death registration; and National identity documents. “Members of the public are, therefore, advised to bring the necessary requirements for registration as we commemorate Africa CRVS Day,” the Civil Registry Department said.