2022 Census Ends, 3 Days Left Of The Mop-up Exercise.

By Staff reporter

Harare- The 2022 Census exercise has ended on May 1st 2022 with results expected to be issued after three months as they are now getting into the data cleaning process, ZIMSTAT has reviled.

Currently doing the mop-up exercise, to the 5th of this month the statistics agents are requesting all those who were not enumerated to inform or contact the call the centre on 08080580 so that they can also be counted.

The 2022 population census was said to have sailed through successfully with few huddles with access to some areas due to poor road network and internet or mobile connection, thus making it difficult to get data into the servers on time.

Director General Taguma Mahonde explained that agents who were covering such peripheral areas like Nkayi, Gokwe, to mention just a few were being ferried to points where they can access connectivity after collecting data.

“Because of different geographical locations, places and areas are not the same, some areas where not accessible, and we had to hire vehicles from Central Mechanical Equipment Department (CMED) with vehicles that can access such terrain,” Mahonde said.

He further added, giving agents wrong information or not to respond or refuse to be counted is a criminal offence and the enumerator is instructed to report to the police.

Stated in Section 16 (4) of the Census Statistics Act Chapter 10:29 as read with SI 205 of 2015.

However since inception the exercise was politicized first with the selection of agents who were to go and enumerate.

Reports claim Zanu PF hijacked the process by bringing military personnel, children of the war veterans, and party members so that they can monetarily benefit from the exercise, thus unconfirmed reports claim some residents did not open their gates neither did they entertain enumerators so that they can be counted.

As the country prepares for the 2023 general elections, the population counting exercise has been labeled a counter rigging ploy by Zanu PF Government.

Majority being teachers, complains are that they have little time to prepare for their kids back to school as well as attend to classes.

Schools are opening tomorrow and enumerators got 50% of the training and the remainder together with that of 10 days exercise is yet to be paid.
“Time to attend to our children’s needs for them to go back to school is too little, today is May 2 2022 and we have to return ZIMSTAT gadgets,” said teachers in Manicaland.

Teachers who marked the 2021 November examination were also paid half their dues and are complaining of US dollar- RTGS rate which is skyrocketing on a daily basis as they are paid using the official bank rate of ZWL $150 per US dollar while the street market rate is currently at ZWL $400-450 is of yesterday.

The Agency spokesperson Mercy Chidemo told Post On Sunday that the case of indiscipline by an enumerator who was recorded in Rusape that was seconded to ZIMSTAT, action was immediately taken.

“As ZIMSTAT we don’t condone such indiscipline and we to an immediate action to withdraw her from the operation and reported her conduct to her department,”Chidemo said.

Meanwhile, senior civil servants in Zimbabwe have been taken to study the ruling Zanu Pf party lessons