94% of Namibians counted as Census enters final phase

Staff Reporter

THE Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) has reported that, as of the 9th of October 2023, 94.5% of households have been enumerated. The agency is now entering the third and final phase of the census, which is the Post Enumeration Survey.

The remaining 4.5% of households, including those that have not been touched and those partially completed, are expected to be completed during the mop-up period from the 9th to the 15th of October 2023. Namibians who have not been counted are urged to contact the NSA to set up appointments.

Although no Namibians have been arrested to date in the census, the NSA enumerators encountered three incidents where members of the public refused to be counted. This includes a security guard who pulled a firearm on enumerators in the Oshikoto region. This information comes from the Statistician General and CEO of the NSA, Alex Shimuafeni, who explained that refusals of those who were counted included a couple that are farm owners, a household in Windhoek rural who refused to be counted for political reasons, and a case in Oshikoto where a security guard was taken to the police station for pointing a firearm at census officials. However, all of these cases were eventually resolved as the households or individuals were enumerated in the end.

Shimuafeni explained that the census is divided into three phases: listing, enumeration, and post-enumeration survey. The enumeration process started on the 18th of September 2023, with the listing exercise aimed at identifying and listing all dwelling units. On the night of the 24th, the full enumeration process took place, including the counting of special populations such as the homeless, travelers, individuals in police holding cells, and admitted patients, among others.

The Statistician General added that the enumeration of conventional households in all 14 regions commenced on the morning of the 25th of September 2023, and all regions reported good progress with minor challenges such as poor network coverage and difficulty in accessing some farms due to locked gates.

Shimuafeni explained that the Post Enumeration Survey will involve the NSA recruiting 644 candidates, who will be required to report for training on Monday, the 16th of October 2023, at training venues in Otjiwarongo, Mariental, Ondangwa, and Rundu. These candidates will be selected from the group of applicants who applied for census positions, with applications closing in July 2023.