Always include as many known details as possible. Names, place of birth, date of birth, any known genetic illnesses, specific physical descriptions.

Ensure your current contact details/photo are placed on record at the Department of Social Welfare in the town where the baby was born, or the adoption agency where the adoption took place. In Zimbabwe, records are usually kept at the Department of the place where the baby was ADOPTED (Read here) . It is worthwhile, too, to make these details known to the International Red Cross who are often approached for assistance in a search.

The point of this is to ensure that if the files are requested by one of the adoption triad, the answers are there!

The Registrar of Adoptions in Pretoria is usually helpful, if slow. They will as a last resort try to trace bparents through the department of Home Affairs records, but they will not release that info without the bparents' consent.

However, this is what one of our adoptees had to say about them:
"Mrs. E. Weideman is the Registrar of Adoptions in Pretoria. Adoptees who have addressed mail personally to her, usually get a reply more quickly than people who just address letters to the registrar."

Their phone number is 012-312-7592, and their fax is 012-323-3733.

Most importantly, the Registrar can provide Minutes of Adoption which contains a great deal of important information. For more details, click here. It is recommended that birth parents read this as well, as it shows how important it is to make contact with the Department and give your details.

Records from the Queen Vic hospital in Johannesburg have been lost for the years 1953-1957. Only the Register is available for that year, which gives basic information most people have anyway. Records for other years can be traced by calling their Archives department at 011- 642-7554 (Irene or Steve) - there is a search fee of around R100.

People in Johannesburg who need face-to-face counselling can call Kay Fermo (011) 883-1527. Kay has also helped find relatives for the adoptive triad for a reasonable fee.
Click here to find out what one of our adoptees has to say about Kay and her assistance.

The Catholic Women's League Adoption Society in Johannesburg will also offer counselling. They usually only do tracing for adoptees placed by them, but if the caller says he or she just wants counselling they could perhaps help. Their contact details are as follows:
Margaret House, 33 Roberts Avenue, Kensington, 2094
P.O. Box 33416, Jeppestown, 2043
Tel: (011) 618-1533 Fax: (011) 618-1538
e-mail: adoptions@mweb.co.za
You can also e-mail them at adoptions@mweb.co.za .

Rhodesian/Zimbabwean adoption records are not handled by a Central office, but by the Department of Social Welfare in the town/city in which the baby was adopted - which may or may not be the same as the birth place. (Read one of our adoptee's letters for information about this.)

The address for the Department of Social Welfare in Harare is:
PO Box 8078, Causeway, Zimbabwe.

The address for the Department of Social Welfare in Bulawayo is:
PO Box 1098, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Telephone Bulawayo 70312
Click here to read an adoptee's experience with them.

The address for the Department of Social Welfare in Gweru (Gwelo) is:
P O Box 996, Gweru, Zimbabwe. Telephone: Gweru 25526 or 23037 or 26742

The address for the Department of Social Welfare in Mutare (Umtali) is:
P O Box 542, Mutare, Zimbabwe. Telephone: Mutare 61585

The address for the Department of Social Welfare in Marondera (Marandellas) is:
P O Box 523, Marondera, Zimbabwe. Telephone: Marondera 24841 or 24842 Thank you Anita M, for the addresses of the Zimbabwe Social Welfare offices

The address for the Child Welfare Society in Johannesburg is:
PO Box 2539, Johannesburg 2000

The phone number for the Child Welfare Society in Cape Town is:
021-6744170. You will be dealing with counsellors who have their childrens' details on record and who should be able to arrange for counselling and a meeting. Most aparents update the records every now and then - some even leave messages for the bmother.

The address for the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Zambia is
PO Box 32311, Lusaka, Zambia
Telephone: Zambia (260) 1 228196 or 228197

Extracts from letters sent to a bmother from the Director of Social Welfare in Zimbabwe provide clues to the laws and processes in that country. Read them by clicking here

Sometimes your quest will take on the appearance of a maze. Every turn leads to another dead end. But there is a way out. Be patient, don't panic, explore every avenue and DON'T GIVE UP.