Pretoria - The Department of Home Affairs is cracking down on fraudulent birth and death registrations with the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Bill.
Introducing the Bill in the National Assembly on Thursday, Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma said several weaknesses had been identified in the current Birth and Deaths Registration Act.
These included gaps in the registration of births and deaths process ; protecting the rights of citizens and alignment to other relevant legislation.
The Amendment Bill makes provision for the registration of deaths by registered undertakers, Dlamini Zuma added.
"This is in addition to family members taking responsibility for death registration. This amendment will minimise the opportunity for fraudulent death registration and contribute towards eliminating the scourge of corruption," she said.
The Bill also provides for stiffer penalties for those implicated in fraudulent birth and death registrations.
The minister said the Bill would streamline procedures related to who should register the birth of a child other than the parent, as well as who and how one can register orphans or abandoned children.
It also seeks to simplify the process for changing surnames and on the issue of paternity. The Bill sets outs steps to be followed when a mother registers a child under one father and later changes to another.
The Amendment Bill also outlines procedures for persons who choose to change their sex status, she added.
