The National Registration Bureau (NRB) has emphasized that birth and death certificates for all citizens are mandatory.

Chief registration officer in the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Department at NRB, Rhodrick Langwe, made the remarks during an engagement with media editors which is underway in Mponela, Dowa district.

“Registers of births and deaths are not merely statutory requirements but also a safeguard to protect the rights and identities of our citizens,” said Langwe.

“Birth certificates allow every child’s identity to be recognized by an official document, which will enable him or her to have easy access to essential services.”

“Still, in the case of death, a death certificate is important for legal issues, like inheritance and insurance claims.”

Langwe warned that failure to register could result in statelessness cases.

“Without proper registration, persons find themselves without a nationality recognized by any nation-state, and that comes with many legal and social problems,” he said.