Population and housing census in Lundazi due to start today hits a snag

The actual headcount in the population and housing census, which is due to start today, will not do so in Lundazi District.

This is because the enumerators and supervisors who are supposed to conduct the headcount activities during the exercise have not yet been deployed.

However, Lundazi District Commissioner, Majory Banda has said the delay is just for one day as the Census District Committee is geared up to start the deployment tomorrow and possibly end on Saturday.

And Mrs Banda has also dispelled allegations that the 2022 Census of Housing and Population recruitment of enumerators and supervisors was marred by corruption and that applicants were being made to pay.

Ms Banda said Lundazi, like any other district, was subjected to the selection process that was done in line with the Zambia Statistics Agency (Zamstats) laid down procedure and that the successful applicants were picked on merit.

ZANIS Lundazi reports that the District Commissioner, who is also the District Census Committee Chairperson, said the recruitment exercise was done electrically in order to curb possible corrupt activities no wonder she gets surprised with corruption allegations levelled against her and the committee.

She has since called for calm among those that have been left out of the process because not everyone could have been accommodated as they only needed a limited number.

Speaking to 418 supervisors and enumerators awaiting deployment at Lundazi Boarding Secondary School Hall yesterday, the District Commissioner urged them to use the money they will be paid for the exercise prudently.

Meanwhile Watipaso Chipeta an enumerator has commended the District Census Committee for conducting the recruitment exercise in a transparent and corruption-free manner, as all eligible candidates were allowed to participate in the aptitude test.

Ms Chipeta has assured the committee that the exercise will be carried out effectively.

Meanwhile, Enumerators and Supervisors engaged by the government to conduct the census exercise in Zimba district have not yet been dispatched.

This is because they are not yet paid their training and field allowance.

The Census team were scheduled to leave today to their respective places but logistics are seemingly not available and ready to pay them.

A snap check conducted by a ZANIS Crew news at Zimba Secondary School found the Enumerators and Supervisors just languishing.

Some Enumerators talked too by ZANIS who spoke on condition of anonymity complained of being stranded and lack of food and money.

“We’re hungry and starving. We don’t have money to buy food and other social amenities,” they said.

Some Supervisor complained they were not told exactly as to when they would receive their monies.

“Our authorities are not telling us the truth. They’re just cheating us which is not good,” they added.

But Zimba District Commissioner (DC) Rabison Mulamfu in a separate interview assured that government is doing everything to pay the Enumerators and Supervisors.

“They will get their money soon. We’re working tirelessly to sort them out,” the DC said.

Zimba district has 211 Enumerators and 37 Supervisors bringing the total number of Census ‘foot soldiers’ to 248.

The census exercise is slated to commence today; August 18 and end on September 14, this year.