By A Correspondent| Zimbabwe’s population statistics may be significantly skewed due to the widespread underreporting of births and deaths, particularly among children under the age of five, in rural areas lacking adequate information and civil registration facilities, according to an investigation by NewsDay.
Traditional burial practices, often conducted without official notification, contribute to the underreporting of deaths, while many births go unrecorded.
Limited access to healthcare facilities, poverty, and a lack of awareness exacerbate the issue, creating an incomplete picture of mortality rates that could distort the overall population figures for the country.
During the April 2022 Population and Housing census, Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) reported that 64.7% of the recorded 78,384 deaths were registered, leaving 30.3% unaccounted for.
Aluwisio Mukavhi, ZimStat’s director of demography and social statistics, acknowledged the possibility of distorted population figures due to unregistered deaths.
“We recorded many unregistered deaths during the census period. However, we could not state the reasons when we collected the data,” Mukavhi stated, emphasizing the need to contact the department for detailed statistics.
The 2022 census indicated a population of 15,178,979 citizens in Zimbabwe.
Clifford Hlatshwayo, an opposition Member of Parliament, expressed concern about the unregistered deaths in remote rural areas.
He highlighted that registration often occurs only when a family member needs an identity document or birth certificate, especially in cases involving deceased children.
Tapiwanashe Chiriga, an advocacy officer from Heal Zimbabwe Trust, identified illegal transportation of bodies and limited access to the Registrar General’s office as major contributing factors.
Chiriga urged the government to establish birth and death registration offices at the ward level or, at the very least, have permanent centers in each constituency.
He emphasized the importance of public knowledge regarding the compulsory registration of every birth and death in Zimbabwe, as mandated by Section 10 of the Birth and Deaths Registration Act.
Highlighting the broader issue, the Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage noted that Zimbabwe, like many African countries, lacks a well-functioning civil registration and vital statistics system.
The 2013 Zimbabwe Constitution [Amendment 20] Act emphasizes the right of every person to be registered and obtain civil registration documents.
-Newsday