The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) has applied for an extension of the 2022 national housing and population census by five more days to enable the enumeration of those who have not yet been counted.
Zimstat Director-General Taguma Mahonde said that the extension of the census period will enable Zimstat to count everyone in order to have accurate data. Said Mahonde:
The enumeration exercise has been going on well with the exercise having been made easier by the use of technology. The process is now simple.
We appreciate that there are people who have not yet been enumerated because of various reasons and we have applied for an extension of the enumeration exercise which is our mopping-up phase so that everyone gets a chance to be counted for us to have accurate data.
On the issue of “weird” questions that are being asked by enumerators, Mahonde said the questions are relevant to the planning and development of the nation. He said:
We are always guided by the United Nations in our line of questioning and this year they wanted us to concentrate more on housing issues, that is why we had questions that had something to do with houses.
All questions asked were relevant to the planning and development of the nation.
The census was supposed to end on Saturday, 30 April, but there are pockets of households across the country that are yet to be counted.
The preliminary report of the census is expected to be out in the next three months with the final report expected to be out in six months’ time.
After Zimstat tables the final census report, electoral boundaries will be redrawn ahead of the 2023 general elections.