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THE 2022 Population and Housing Census, which is being conducted by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) kicked off yesterday on a good note across Matabeleland provinces with the generality of people co-operating with enumerators.
President Mnangagwa was counted at the State House in Harare amid calls for Zimbabweans to cooperate as the exercise is meant to benefit the country.
Briefing journalists soon after the counting of the First Family, ZimStat director General, Mr Taguma Mahonde implored members of the public to emulate the First Family and cooperate during the population and housing census which will run until the end of the month.
The results are expected after three months. Wednesday was the census night which is being used as the reference point for enumeration. The country conducts censuses at 10-year intervals, with the first one conducted in 1982 and others followed in 1992, 2002 and 2012.
Chronicle news crew yesterday visited a number of places around the city such as Famona, Burnside and Ingutsheni Central Hospital and observed enumerators conducting the exercise. Generally, members of the public, including mental patients at Ingutsheni co-operated with the enumerators.
Chronicle established that there were isolated incidents where enumerators were turned away at some households they visited in Famona suburb.
In Bulawayo, there are 1 923 enumeration areas in the city’s 29 wards and each area being is covered by an enumerator. There is also counting of floating populations, which include those in transit and the homeless on the streets.
The areas with floating populations include the area around Tredgold building, hotels and lodges as well as areas such as Matsheumhlope River and points in the city centre where the homeless are found.
Bulawayo provincial statistician Ms Caroline Mbambo said the enumeration process started well in most parts of the city.
“The enumeration started well in most parts of the city. We however, received reports of some of our enumerators being turned away at some house they visited and our supervisors are engaging those respondents to try and convince them about the importance of the exercise,” she said.
Ms Mbambo said in the event that the engagement fails to yield results, they would be forced to engage police.
“Refusing to be enumerated is a criminal offence and a violation of section 16 of the Census and Statistics Act, Chapter 10.29. Those who refuse to cooperate are therefore committing an offence and will be liable for prosecution in terms of the law,” she said.
One of the enumerators said some of the enumerators were being turned away at some households because they haven’t received the ZimStat identity cards resulting in some residents being sceptical.
“Some of us haven’t been given ZimStat identity cards hence we are being turned away at some houses,” said the enumerator.
Efforts to contact ZimStat spokesperson Ms Mercy Chidemo were fruitless as she wasn’t answering her phone last night.
However, explaining the census night to Chronicle earlier this week she said: “Whoever sleeps at a house on April 20 will be counted in that household.
The census night is the reference point for all enumeration, so every question that will be asked will be referring to that night.
Only those who will have slept are counted so as to avoid double counting.
If one moves from one area to the next after April 20, they are counted where they were during that night regardless of moving permanently. Those who work night shifts and go back home the following morning are counted in their respective households.”
In Matabeleland North, the census exercise started with the deployment of enumerators to districts. On census night on Wednesday some enumerators visited long distance buses that were leaving Victoria Falls at night.
Some enumerators also visited lodges and hotels, health facilities and orphanages where they engaged people living there. In some cases, they left some questionnaires to be completed.
Yesterday teams moved door-to-door in ward 11 and today they are expected to be out in full force around Victoria Falls and other areas.
In Gwanda town, there was low census activity.
Matabeleland South provincial statistician Mr Munyaradzi Bote said enumeration began in Gwanda rural.
“We decided to start with areas that are further from town while working our way inwards. All areas in Gwanda rural are covered with our enumerators hard at work right now. We’ve also covered some parts of Gwanda urban particularly those that have hotels and lodges. In Gwanda rural, enumeration has been taking place in areas including Makwe, all the way up to Beitbridge and Matobo,” said Mr Bote.
He said people have been co-operating with enumerators although the rains were slowing down the process.
“All districts are covered and the response has been very good so far but the rains are hampering progress as they’re making it difficult for people to move around,” said Mr Bote.
In the Midlands, several people living on the streets in urban areas and those in transit were counted.
The transit communities counted included those in hotels, lodges, those living on the streets and those in overnight buses.
In the past enumerators used paper questionnaires to gather information but this year they are using electronic gadgets.
Midlands Province Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mr Abiot Maronge said the census started well in urban areas.
“The census programme started well in urban areas as we managed to count those living on the streets and those in transit. The transit communities counted included those who were booked in hotels, lodges and those on evening buses,” he said.
Mr Maronge said the exercise was disrupted by heavy rains that fell across the province yesterday.
He said the most affected districts were Gokwe North and South districts which saw field workers failing to conduct their business because of the heavy rains yesterday morning.
President Mnangagwa said the 2022 population and housing census will provide comprehensive information on levels of education, literacy and fields of specialisation. The census will also interrogate reasons for dropping out of school.
During the enumeration exercise, ZimStat enumerators will visit all households and institutions across the country asking questions pertaining to socio-economic and demographic characteristics of households.
The enumerators are required to carry identity cards and other census branded material.
In undertaking the exercise, enumerators will direct questions to heads of households or their designated representatives with all information relating to persons who spent the census night in the household.
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