Harare — The Registrar-General's Department has dismissed statistics in the 2009 Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Monitoring Survey indicating a low rate of birth registration in the country.

The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency - in collaboration with Unicef - conducted the survey.

Registrar-General Mr Tobaiwa Mudede said his department was not involved in the survey and existing data on birth registration was not included.

"The topic touched on national registration, and things of national importance should be treated carefully with consideration that they are of national importance.

"This document is regretted by the Registrar- General's Department unreservedly," he said. Mr Mudede said they had already expressed their displeasure in the manner the survey was conducted to the Zimstat leadership.

"Why go for a survey when you can go for the actual data on the ground? We have that information but they used secondary data when the primary information is there.

"Maybe this was done to justify the donor funding they receive," said Mr Mudede. According to results of the survey, 37 percent of children under five years have birth certificates which do not show the sex of the child.

The report also said 55 percent of children under five in urban areas had birth certificates as compared to 30 percent in rural areas. However, Harare Province registrar Mr Simon Muchemenye said it was not possible to have a birth certificate that does not show the sex of the child.

"Our birth certificates are computer generated and the system we use does not allow one to have an incomplete birth certificate. It would be rejected," he said.

The survey also said some respondents had cited costs and long distances to the Registrar-General's offices as reasons for not obtaining birth certificates.

"Birth certificates are obtained for free soon after the child is born up to six years," said Mr Thomas Pasipamire, the director of human resources and policy in the RG's Department.

"We also used to have mobile registration exercises if funds permitted, but we have now set up 206 sub-offices throughout the country and at all district, provincial and central hospitals," said Mr Pasipamire.