Repeals and replaces the Zambia Citizenship Act 1975, in light of the new Zambian Constitution of 2016.<\/p>\n
PART III: CITIZENSHIP BY BIRTH<\/p>\n
15. (1) A person who is a citizen by birth shall be registered at birth in accordance with the Births and Deaths Registration Act.<\/p>\n
(2) A person who is a citizen by birth shall obtain a National Registration Card upon evidence of registerable age in accordance with the National Registration Act.<\/p>\n
16. (1) A person who finds a child who is or appears to be less than eight years of age, and whose nationality and parents are not known shall present the child to the Government department responsible for matters relating to children and where there is no such department, present the child to the nearest Government department or agency.<\/p>\n
(2) Where a child is received by a Government department or agency that is not responsible for matters relating to children, the department or agency shall immediately report and present the child to the Government department responsible for matters relating to children.<\/p>\n
(3) The Government department or agency responsible for matters relating to children shall undertake the necessary investigations including, subject to the rights of the child under any written law, the use of media to determine the origin of the child.<\/p>\n
(4) If the Government department or agency responsible for matters relating to children fails to determine the origin and identity of the child, it shall present the child found to the Children\u2019s Court and take out proceedings for the determination of the age, nationality, residence and the parentage of the child.<\/p>\n
(5) The Children\u2019s Court shall, after determining the adequacy of the efforts undertaken by the Government department or agency
\nresponsible for matters relating to children, issue an order directing that the child be presumed to be a citizen by birth or any other
\norder as the Court considers just.<\/p>\n
(6) Where the Children\u2019s Court makes an order for a child be presumed to be a citizen by birth, it may direct the Chief Passports and Citizenship Officer to register the child in the register of children presumed citizens by birth.<\/p>\n
(7) A person who brings into Zambia, conspires, assists or facilitates the abandoning of a child with the intention of conferring citizenship on the child commits an offence and is liable, upon conviction, to a fine not exceeding one million penalty units or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or to both.<\/p>\n