NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 502
DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 22 March 2013
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 9 of 2013
Mr M S F de Freitas (DA) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:
(1) When did her Department start registering the births of primary
school children without birth certificates;
(2) (a) how many children have been registered to date (i) in total and
(ii) in each Province and (b) what has been the total cost to her
Department in this regard;
(3) what targets were (a) set and (b) achieved in each of the financial
years since the registration process began?
NW656E
REPLY:
(1) to (3) The Department of Home Affairs does not maintain separate
records or statistics in respect of the registrations of births for
primary school children. The Department also does not register
children aged 14 years and younger by means of the Late
Registration of Births process, as birth certificates are issued on
the spot when the birth is registered.
Furthermore, the Department has always registered the
births of primary school children without birth certificates, both
at the office of application as well as when visiting remote /
rural areas with mobile offices. This is a normal core function of
the Department as primary school children are not categorically a
target group, but form part of the broader group of children
registered on the same day as indicated above.
No specific budget has been allocated for registering the births of
primary school children. The Department utilises its daily
operational budget to register children aged 14 years and younger.
There are therefore no specific targets set in this regard, as the
registration of primary school children is not an identified
project but a normal Departmental service. Applications in this
regard are done free of charge.