Registry officer fired after triplets born in South Africa got Zimbabwean birth certificates

A Civil Registry officer has lost her job after the Labour Court upheld her dismissal for issuing Zimbabwean birth certificates to triplets born in South Africa.

The officer, stationed at Guruve District Registry, recorded the children as having been born locally without properly verifying their parents’ identities or supporting documents.

The fraud came to light in November 2023 when the children’s mother sought to correct their place of birth. She had reportedly paid US$200 to an intermediary to obtain the certificates, while clinic records showed no evidence that the triplets were born in Guruve.

The officer argued that she had been deceived, but Justice Bridget Chivizhe ruled that the mother’s deception did not excuse her failure to follow mandatory verification procedures.

Despite her 15 years of public service and personal circumstances as a widow and mother of five, the court ruled that the misconduct was serious enough to justify dismissal.

The appeal was dismissed, confirming her discharge from the Public Service effective November 15, 2024.

The court’s message: Public officers cannot escape responsibility for failing to enforce safeguards designed to prevent fraud. *_-NewZimbabwe_*