The Department of Home Affairs will launch an online child registration system in KwaZulu-Natal tomorrow.
The system is the first of several to be rolled out at hospitals in the province, allowing for births to be registered at maternity hospitals.
Deputy minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for health, Zweli Mkhize, and senior government officials will register the first group of babies at the King Edward VIII Hospital and Mahatma Ghandi Hospital in Durban tomorrow.
"The online registration project aims to ensure that all children living in the country obtain a legitimate birth certificate while still in hospital," says Madiba Thabethe, a spokesperson for the deputy minister. "It will also assist mothers to access their child support grants.
"The process will also make it easier for children to register for their identity documents and passports at a later stage.
"This is still a pilot project. The implementation process will extend over a period of time and it is hoped the system will reach most government hospitals," says Thabethe.
"We have provided all the necessary IT security measures for the system to ensure the system is not misused. The system will be operated by Home Affairs officials located at the hospital`s maternity wards."
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