Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube has cast doubt on the veracity of population census results that have been released by the Zimbabwe Statistic Agency (Zimstat) over the years.
Ncube queried why population figures in Matabeleland provinces have remained the same during successive censuses, saying results of the census will help guide the Government on how to approach development and service delivery.
She challenged Zimstat to produce population census results that are a true reflection of the number of people in the province when it conducts the 2022 national census. Said Ncube:
In our briefing, I made an indication that the late national hero Cde Sydney Malunga used to talk very strongly about the Bulawayo and Matabeleland population.
The figures we present determine the size of the cake that is given to each province. If we misled the leadership, they will believe that uBulawayo ulabobaba abangaphiwanga inzalo.
The population remains at 600 000 every time which will lead to an investigation about the men of Bulawayo and Matabeleland on what natural family planning methods they are using as the population does not grow.
The figures remain almost the same as we are not increasing but I did appreciate what the director general of Zimstat told me that the approach and method they are going to use will give a true reflection about Bulawayo.
Zimstat will conduct the national population and housing census next year from April 21 to April 30 that will provide new figures for the country`s demographic, social, and economic profile.