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Population Census manager Mr Washington Mapeta yesterday confirmed the development saying enumerators would be paid their allowances once Zimstat finishes working on the distribution modalities.
“The money is with us and we are processing it. No one has received any money but very soon the allowances will be in their accounts,” said Mr Mapeta.
United Nations Population Fund has released $12 million towards the completion of the process.
At least 30 000 enumerators, mostly drawn from the education sector, took part in the enumeration exercise.
Mr Mapeta said the enumerators were carrying out a mop-up exercise to cover areas that could have been left out during the official counting days. The census ran from 17 to 27 August.
The mop-up exercise is expected to end today. “Some are revisiting the areas where they might have made some errors while others who were not there have made appointments,” he said. “It has to end tomorrow (today) because the more we delay the more we create problems for ourselves.”
Other enumerators, Mr Mapeta said, were in the process of bringing questionnaires to their provincial centres.
“We do not have a time frame when the data should reach us but we want that to be done as soon as possible. It is a matter of logistics because some people might be travelling from as far as Binga and this might take days before the data reaches us. After that, data collation and analysis would start immediately,” he said.
Mr Mapeta dismissed reports that some enumerators were holding on to the questionnaires arguing they had not been paid.
“We have never received an official report of such things happening. We are only getting that through the media,” he said.
The 2012 population census was marred by disturbances when it started. Thousands of prospective enumerators wishing to take part in the process jostled at various centres countrywide to take part in the process.
The enumeration started at midnight on 17 August with the counting of vagrants and those in transit.
The process was also affected by late disbursement of materials while transport shortages also affected deployment of some officers to remote areas.
Online Reporter