TATENDA CHIKARA IN MASVINGO
The Zimbabwe national Statistics Agency (ZimStat) is expecting to complete a field mapping and household listing exercise in Masvingo Province by year-end as it prepares for next year’s national census, Business Times can report.
Zimstat director, Tagunda Mahonde, who spoke at a workshop organised by the agency in Masvingo last week said mapping in the province was about 75% complete.
Mapping, he said, helps in knowing the enumeration areas, which help in avoiding duplication of individuals during the census period.
Zimstat expects to complete mapping by year-end.
“The census programme has got two important steps, firstly mapping where we will be creating the enumerating areas so that it gives a clear map to avoid duplication of individuals, and avoiding an individual jumping into another person’s area or an area which will be left uncounted.
“We are now almost 75% that we expect by year end we would have finished,” Mahonde.
“Secondly, we do what is called pilot census. We will be checking our preparedness, our logistics, test the questions we are going to ask and many.”
Mahonde said next year’s census will be using tablets which is faster “because in at least three months we will be able to give people the outcome than when we used pens and books which took us almost two years to have an actual population”
The Masvingo provincial development coordinator, Jefter Sakupwanya said the workshop will “help us on decision making as it will give us the exact population that seeks assistance from the government”.
Government has set aside ZWL$4.44bn for ZimStat to carry out its activities including the population census, which will culminate in the delimitation of 210 electoral constituencies to be used in the 2023 general elections.
