Question NW1798 to the Minister of Home Affairs
26 June 2023 - NW1798
van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Home Affairs
(1)Whether, considering that children without birth certificates are at an increased risk of exclusion from government grants and therefore being more likely to suffer from multiple dimensions of poverty, and given the Republic’s high child stunting and poverty levels, his department will pro-actively prioritise the registration of the unregistered children (details furnished); if not, why not; if so, (2) what are the statistics on late registrations of birth for the periods (a) after 31 days, (b) after 31 days but before 1 year, (c) after 1 year but before age 15 and (d) age 15 upwards for the (i) number of applications for late registration of birth received in each year and month at Home Affairs front offices, (ii) number of such applications that have been finalised in the specified period, disaggregated by the year and month they were received by the front offices and (iii) year and month they were finalised, to provide data on the average time it takes the Department to finalise a late registration of birth in the period 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022; (3) (a) what is the backlog that remains for the processing of applications that were submitted since 2018, disaggregated by the year and month they were submitted by applicants, (b) where are the bottlenecks and (c) what plans are in place to address the bottlenecks to enable the children to become registered?
Reply:
1. The department has a birth registration campaign which requires parents to register new born babies within 30 days and it has set up birth registration offices in health facilities that have maternity wards. For those who have missed that period, we register them through the Late Registration of Birth (LRB) process. Provinces proactively run the Late Registration of Birth (LRB) initiatives in communities where unregistered children are identified.
2. The statistics on late registration of birth are attached as Annexure A on this response and have been disaggregated by months and years.
(3)(a) During Covid-19 (2020/21 and 2021/22) the turn-around times could not be complied with due to the fact that some of the service/s were not rendered due to various stage restrictions and the backlog information is attached as Annexure B.
(3)(b) Bottlenecks:
- Abandoned children: The Department of Social Development (DSD), in line with their mandate on the subject matter, does not submit a complete investigation report from Social Worker to enable DHA to register birth in line with regulations and engagements with DSD are ongoing.
- Cultural practices: Naming of a child after birth is delayed by the family.
- Home births occurrences at far flung areas which are located a further distance from Health Facilities.
- Laissez faire-attitude: Mothers not taking the responsibility to register birth within 30 days until there is a social pressure to do so.
- Applicant/s change their contact details and physical addresses without notifying the Department which makes it difficult to contact them for appointments to attend Late Registration of Birth screenings.
- No shows: Clients not responding when invited for interviews.
- Evidence provided by applicant/s not sufficient to attend to and finalize Late Registration of Birth.
- Lack of supporting documents to finalise the LRB applications.
- DNA referrals - parent(s) do not have the financial means.
3(c) Plans in place to address bottlenecks:
- Committees developed a weekly schedule to adjudicate cases.
- Offices collaborate with Department of Social Development to assist with tracing and transportation of some clients.
- Intensify Community Awareness through Stakeholders and the assistance of GCIS.
- DNA Test Results to finalise LRB applications when there is a lack of supporting documents.
- DHA and DoH to enter into a MoU for waiver of payments for indigents (Parent(s) with no financial means) to pay for DNA once we have concluded discussions on the feasibility of this support.
- Clients are reminded to update DHA when their contact details have changed.
- Follow up through stakeholders when clients do not avail themselves for screening after setting up appointments.
END
2. a) All births 31 days upward
Annexure A
|
SUMMARY |
ALL BIRTHS 31 DAYS AND ABOVE |
|||||||||||
|
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
17732 |
17821 |
17426 |
17722 |
18547 |
17688 |
18342 |
18926 |
17739 |
17823 |
17671 |
11844 |
209281 |
|
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
19876 |
18674 |
17100 |
16124 |
17817 |
15832 |
19406 |
18336 |
16255 |
19067 |
16299 |
11971 |
206757 |
|
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
18942 |
17993 |
14643 |
344 |
53915 |
28752 |
21575 |
20384 |
20707 |
21960 |
18568 |
15133 |
252916 |
|
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
20833 |
21659 |
24536 |
18917 |
20240 |
16600 |
14725 |
20295 |
21545 |
22527 |
20374 |
14817 |
237068 |
|
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
22653 |
21297 |
22371 |
16481 |
21079 |
17878 |
18383 |
19205 |
18668 |
17007 |
16333 |
11186 |
222541 |
2.(b) Statistics 31 to 364 days
|
SUMMARY |
31 TO 364 DAYS |
|||||||||||
|
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
13990 |
12055 |
11061 |
12266 |
13077 |
12266 |
12666 |
12870 |
11776 |
12892 |
11236 |
7478 |
143633 |
|
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
13793 |
11654 |
10766 |
11158 |
11850 |
10901 |
12729 |
11130 |
10396 |
11221 |
10033 |
7040 |
132671 |
|
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
13640 |
11680 |
9385 |
197 |
53646 |
27028 |
19832 |
18862 |
17926 |
17780 |
14221 |
11789 |
215986 |
|
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
18471 |
17944 |
18703 |
14908 |
14901 |
13205 |
12575 |
16702 |
16652 |
16594 |
14091 |
10636 |
185382 |
|
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
17315 |
15489 |
15998 |
12621 |
15964 |
14269 |
15085 |
14644 |
13319 |
12665 |
11181 |
7735 |
166285 |
2.(c) 1 to 15 years
|
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
2489 |
4219 |
4408 |
3600 |
3753 |
3704 |
3869 |
4127 |
4490 |
3834 |
4486 |
2932 |
45911 |
|
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
3770 |
4605 |
4602 |
3256 |
3726 |
3648 |
4731 |
5033 |
4005 |
5585 |
4359 |
3558 |
50878 |
|
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
3570 |
4710 |
3584 |
130 |
226 |
1284 |
1355 |
1211 |
2218 |
3216 |
3071 |
2627 |
27202 |
|
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
1598 |
2878 |
4247 |
2866 |
3826 |
2499 |
1420 |
2483 |
3493 |
4221 |
4551 |
3102 |
37184 |
|
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
3280 |
4254 |
4512 |
2749 |
3678 |
2551 |
2457 |
3360 |
3909 |
2803 |
3744 |
2626 |
39923 |
2. d) 16 years upward
|
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
1253 |
1547 |
1957 |
1856 |
1717 |
1718 |
1807 |
1929 |
1473 |
1097 |
1949 |
1434 |
19737 |
|
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
2313 |
2415 |
1732 |
1710 |
2241 |
1283 |
1946 |
2173 |
1854 |
2261 |
1907 |
1373 |
23208 |
|
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
1732 |
1603 |
1674 |
17 |
43 |
440 |
388 |
311 |
563 |
964 |
1276 |
717 |
9728 |
|
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
764 |
837 |
1586 |
1143 |
1513 |
896 |
730 |
1110 |
1400 |
1712 |
1732 |
1079 |
14502 |
|
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
2058 |
1554 |
1861 |
1111 |
1437 |
1058 |
841 |
1201 |
1440 |
1539 |
1408 |
825 |
16333 |
3.(a) Backlogs
Annexure B
|
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
2018 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
3367 |
3443 |
3074 |
3106 |
3411 |
3569 |
6517 |
3730 |
3823 |
3658 |
3202 |
3430 |
44300 |
|
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
2019 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
3675 |
3804 |
3866 |
3459 |
4012 |
3980 |
4227 |
4368 |
4374 |
4584 |
4638 |
3324 |
48216 |
|
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
2020 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
4374 |
4296 |
4343 |
3928 |
4093 |
4241 |
4320 |
4365 |
3105 |
4424 |
4505 |
4681 |
50588 |
|
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
2021 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
4412 |
4413 |
4906 |
4763 |
4819 |
4849 |
4128 |
4908 |
5130 |
5383 |
5377 |
4196 |
57274 |
|
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
2022 |
TOTAL |
|
JANUARY |
FEBRUARY |
MARCH |
APRIL |
MAY |
JUNE |
JULY |
AUGUST |
SEPTEMBER |
OCTOBER |
NOVEMBER |
DECEMBER |
|
|
4665 |
4098 |
4545 |
4447 |
4796 |
4785 |
4713 |
4743 |
4949 |
5311 |
4995 |
5758 |
57267 |