Masvingo Registry Stops Birth Registrations After Running Out of BD1 Forms

MASVINGO – A crippling shortage of BD1 forms has halted birth registrations at the Masvingo Registry Office, leaving newborns unregistered and families in limbo.

The official “Notice of Birth” form, required to begin the birth certificate process, is now unavailable — triggering a province-wide collapse in civil documentation services.

The crisis has paralysed operations at one of Masvingo Province’s busiest registry offices.

Just weeks ago, the same office ran out of receipt books, nearly shutting down services.

Now, the BD1 shortage has intensified frustrations for residents who depend on the registry for vital documents such as birth certificates and national identity cards.

According to a source within the department, the office has completely stopped issuing birth notices due to the unavailability of BD1 forms.

“We are not issuing notice of birth right now because we have run out of BD1 forms.

“These are specially printed at Fidelity Printers, unlike other stationery we can improvise with during shortages,” said the source.

The BD1 form is the first official record of a child’s birth and stays on file at the registry after the birth certificate is issued.

Without it, families cannot proceed with registration, effectively locking newborns out of the civil documentation system.

The impact is not limited to Masvingo town.

The Renco Mine registry office remains without receipt books and has suspended services for lost identity cards.

“Our branch ran out of receipt books weeks ago and still has not received replacements.

“It is a mess. The problem is not just here in Masvingo town, several other registry offices across the province are facing the same challenges,” the source added.

TellZim News confirmed the developments and attempted to get a comment from the Minister of Home Affairs, Kazembe Kazembe, but calls to his mobile phone went unanswered.

However, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ambassador Raphael Faranisi, acknowledged the crisis and attributed it to a broader financial strain affecting government departments.

“The stationery shortage is a common challenge now. Remember the government issued a statute aimed at cutting down expenditure and that has affected us.

“But we have applied to the treasury for funding to make sure that our operations run as usual. We need to make sure that anyone who needs a birth certificate or ID gets it in time,” he said.

The ongoing shortages have made the registry a source of frustration for residents, who now face unpredictable delays in obtaining documents essential for education, healthcare, and public services.

With no timeline for resolution, the crisis continues to disrupt lives across Masvingo Province.