Home Affairs Deputy Minister Njabulo Nzuza accompanied by Health Deputy Minister, Dr Sibongiseni Dhlomo will, on 25 March 2022, visit the Newcastle Provincial Hospital to enhance government’s concerted effort to bring public services closer to where people live, in an integrated and coordinated way. During the visit, Deputy Minister Nzuza will officially open the Home Affairs Civil Registration Facility which is located onsite.

Opening a Home Affairs Civil Registration office on the hospital premises is meant to encourage parents to register their children before leaving the health facility. In this manner, citizens are assisted to comply with the legal requirement to register their children within 30 days of birth. Deputy Minister Nzuza has recently opened several early birth registration sites across provinces, the last one being at Rahima Moosa Hospital in Johannesburg.

At the Newcastle Provincial Hospital, it is expected that Deputy Minister Nzuza will encourage parents to register their children early and get birth certificates before leaving the health facility. The Department of Home Affairs is working on expanding its office footprint in health facilities working in partnership with the Department of Health.

Registering and documenting children within 30 days of birth ensure that their identity and status as citizens are recognised and duly protected. This also prevents identity fraud. Registered children are empowered to exercise their civic rights, to access government services and to participate fully in the economy.

Source: Government of South Africa