Census to end on Sunday
Staff Reporter
THE Statistician General, Alex Shimuafeni, has addressed the plight of unpaid census workers and stated that the workers will receive their payment around the 10th of November. He added that the delay in payments has been caused by nearly 2000 census workers facing disciplinary action, which has consequently delayed the payment process, among other issues. Additionally, Shimuafeni announced that the enumeration of persons will officially conclude on Sunday, 5th November 2023. He urged Namibians who have not been counted in the National Population and Housing Census to contact the NSA to schedule an appointment for enumeration.
The census commenced with the listing of buildings and households on the 18th of September 2023, followed by the enumeration of persons starting from 25th September 2023, with 24th September being the census reference night.
“The census was initially set to end on 15th October 2023. However, it was extended to ensure complete coverage of the entire nation, particularly in hard-to-reach areas and among hard-to-count populations,” Shimuafeni stated.
Regarding outstanding payments, Shimuafeni noted that the NSA is aware of the delay in the salary disbursement for the enumerators, which was expected to be completed by 31st October 2023. He explained that the delay is due to the agency’s ongoing efforts in multiple verifications, including the verification of the tablets used by each of the 13,000 enumerators, along with other gadgets and charges. The verifications also encompass absenteeism, the prevention of duplicate payments, and disciplinary matters.
“We have initiated the payment process, and the first batch of payments will be made next week. We are also working on expediting the payment process and enhancing these procedures in the future,” Shimuafeni added.
