Public Enterprises minister Malusi Gigaba apologised to South Africans for last weeks power cuts.
JOHANNESBURG - Home Affairs Minister, Malusi Gigaba is waging a war against false claims to South African citizenship and says people will be penalised for late birth registration.
He says online systems have been installed at nearly 400 maternity wards countrywide to ensure immediate birth registration.
In other hospitals, department officials collect birth records for registration, on a weekly basis.
Gigaba believes shutting down late birth registrations, would help curb the practise of using fraudulent testimonials from traditional, religious and other leaders, which helps foreign nationals obtain citizenship illegally.
Gigaba says the move is geared at ensuring the security and accuracy of the National Population Register.
Part of the system Home Affairs says from next year birth certificates will be free for the first 30 days after a child is born.
Thereafter, parents will have to pay a penalty that will increase as the child gets older.
See attached video for more.
