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THE Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) yesterday kick-started the 2022 Population and Housing Census awareness campaigns in the Matabeleland region in Bulawayo’s Cowdray Park suburb.
In an effort to reach out to every citizen in all parts of the country, Zimstat has planned roadshows and courtesy visits to traditional leaders to spread awareness about the census to be held from April 21-30.
The country conducted its first population census in 1982 and in the years that followed in 1992, 2002 and 2012 respectively.
Zimstat public relations manager Ms Mercy Chidemo said awareness campaigns have started countrywide to ensure that every citizen is conscious about the census and what to expect when enumerators visit their homes.
“We’re counting everyone who would have slept at a house on the night of April 20 (the census night), therefore people’s 20th venues are what we shall be using,” said Ms Chidemo.
“Today we’re in Bulawayo and tomorrow we will be in Lupane and Victoria Falls the next day. Our Zimstat team is doing the awareness and for the roadshows we have partnered with ZBC Radio Zimbabwe and National FM.”
She said officials will pay courtesy visits to chiefs in the districts of Matabeleland North and South provinces to sensitise them about the 2022 Population and Housing Census.
Ms Chidemo said the idea is to appeal to traditional leaders, who are the custodians of communities and in touch with their subjects, to encourage people to participate in the census.
“The exercise is important as we need to educate people about the importance of the census and why they need to be counted to increase the response rate. In areas along the borders where people don’t have connectivity, we will use targeted messaging like employing the use of police hailers, flyers in the local language and community outreach programmes, among other methods,” said Ms Chidemo.
She said chiefs wield a lot of influence in their communities and they will massively aid the process.
Matabeleland North Province has close to 40 chiefs spread across seven districts.
Chief Masuku of Gwanda said the census was critical as it would guide the country in its planning.
“If we fail to plan, we’ll be planning to fail. It’s important to make sure that everyone is counted and that they participate in the census so that its objectives are met,” said Chief Masuku.
Speaking during a training of Level Two supervisors recently, Zimstat director of statistical services Mrs Fadzayi Ndlovu said efforts will be made to reach every corner of the country.
She said enumerators will be drawn from people in specific areas so that they use their knowledge of the terrain to reach every citizen.
“As we do the 2022 Population and Housing Census, our recruitment is district and ward based as we try to recruit as much as possible teachers or other people who reside within the enumeration areas. We’re making sure we cover the provinces using people who are already familiar with the terrain and places where we will get people that we are looking for,” said Mrs Ndlovu
Some areas in Matabeleland North and South provinces are inaccessible due to bad terrain.
Bulawayo provincial statistician Ms Caroline Mbambo said the census is in line with NDS1 and the country’s vision of becoming a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income by 2030.
“This census will be of great help when it comes to the economic planning of the nation, coming up with policies that are in line with the population, labour force, and for further research purposes,” said Ms Mbambo.
Matabeleland South provincial statistician Mr Munyaradzi Bote said a roadshow to sensitise members of the public on the upcoming census will be held in Gwanda on Friday.
“We had a roadshow in Insiza yesterday (Monday), we’re going to have another one in Gwanda on April 8. We’ll also be engaging chiefs and traditional leaders to spread awareness about the census. These traditional leaders have also been invited to the roadshows,” said Mr Bote.
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