“If a child is registered at birth we will not have any child without a birth certificate.”
THE DEPUTY Minister of Home Affairs, Njabulo Nzuza, visited the Northern Cape as part of his assessment drive to check on his department’s performance in terms of access to documentation.
Nzuza visited the Home Affairs office at Kimberley’s Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital on Friday.
The deputy minister also opened a Home Affairs office in Jan Kempdorp and went on an ID application drive at Warrenton High School.
He highlighted that the relationship between the departments of Home Affairs and Health needs to be strengthened.
According to Nzuza, the partnership between the two departments will help ensure that every child is registered at birth and that every death is recorded timeously.
“If a child is registered at birth we will not have any child without a birth certificate.”
According to Nzuza, at least 70% of birth registrations are done at health facilities.
While visiting the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, Nzuza urged the facility to ensure that all newborns leave the hospital with a birth certificate.
“This will minimise the mother’s costs as there will be no need for the mother to come back to the hospital for a birth certificate or go to a Home Affairs office. At least the mother will only be left with the responsibility of looking after the child and giving it attention,” said the deputy minister.
Nzuza pointed out that the infrastructure in the Province needs to be upgraded in order to improve services and reach more people.
The Northern Cape MEC for Health, Mase Manopole, said that the Home Affairs office at the Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital will assist in the National Health Insurance (NHI) drive and she committed to keeping track that all stays in order at the office.
“This office is on my tick box. I always ensure that I visit the facility to check what kind of support I can offer. I frequent it whenever I visit the maternity ward as it is on the same floor,” said Manopole.
According to Manopole, there are already engagements in place between the ministers of Home Affairs and Health regarding work that has been done at provincial level in preparation for the NHI.
“With NHI, remember, there is going to be a fund so our clients need to have an ID. By the time that the NHI starts off after the bill has been passed, the youth should have IDs. We should ensure that it is all systems go,” said Manopole.
