collection in order to know the ration of birth registration in urban and rural areas
disaggregated by age and sex. Moreover, the Committee recommends the State Party
to fulfill its obligation of ensuring that every child is registered immediately after birth, is
named, and acquired nationality by playing a pro-active role such as launching
education and sensitization campaigns on birth registration to parents and community
leaders: and ensuring proper coordination between the central civil registration authority
and other civil registration offices across the country. To this effect, the Committee
highly encourages the State Party to use, as a guideline, the Committee's General
Comment on Article 6 of the African Children's Charter.
Freedom of thought, concise, and Religion
23. The Committee commends the State Party for recognizing children's freedom of
thought, concise, and religion under the new Constitution and for its effort to ensure the
respect of the right in the case of Dzvova vs. Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and
Culture. In this regard, the Committee recommends the State Party to ensure that
parents' right to determine the moral and religious upbringing of their children takes into
account the evolving capacity and the best interest of the child in accordance with
article 9(2) of the African Children's Charter.
Freedom of Association
24. While appreciating the efforts of the State Party to guarantee children's freedom of
association by supporting the Juniors Parliament, Junior Council and clubs, the
Committee encourages the State Party to ensure that such rights are limited only in
accordance with the applicable law.
Protection of Privacy
25. The Committee applauds the State Party for prohibiting publicizing children in the
juvenile justice system under the Children's Act, for establishing a multi-sectoral victim
friendly system to protect the privacy of victims of abuse, and for prohibiting virginity
testing and female gentile mutilation under the Domestic Violence Act. However, the
Committee notes that there are instances whereby the media violates the rights of
children due to lack of supervision and monitoring mechanisms and where by virginity
testing and female gentile mutilation are practiced in some communities. Thus, the
Committee recommends the Government of Zimbabwe to take measures against the
Medias that violate children's right to privacy and to put in place monitoring mechanisms
to ensure that children's right to privacy is respected and promoted. Further, the
Committee urges the State Party to take all necessary measures such as creating