The Government has trained over 5 900 village heads to issue birth and death confirmation records for individuals born or dying outside of healthcare facilities, as part of the Second Republic's efforts to decentralise services.

This development aims to address challenges facing mothers who give birth at home and relatives of those who die at home, especially in rural areas, in accessing birth and death records.

The programme is currently being piloted in Manicaland and Matabeleland North Provinces, with plans to roll it out to the remaining provinces at an advanced stage.

Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Kazembe Kazembe told the Senate on Thursday that over 5 900 village heads had been capacitated to issue birth and death notification records.

"My ministry, through the Civil Registry Department, is currently working towards capacitating traditional leaders in the implementation of active notification for community births and deaths.

"Currently, this programme is being piloted in Manicaland and Matabeleland North Provinces. A total of 5 970 village heads have been trained," Minister Kazembe said. The programme, Minister Kazembe said, will be rolled out to the remaining provinces soon.

Currently, in many provinces, those who give birth at home are required to bring at least two witnesses to the Registrar-General's offices to obtain birth certificates, and this has discouraged some people from registering births.

Minister Kazembe also revealed that President Mnangagwa had directed the Civil Registry not to ask too many questions and waived the fees that were previously required to acquire the vital documents.