Homeless not excluded from census – NSA

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) said homeless people are counted as part of the country’s ongoing census, despite them not having a fixed address.

NSA spokesperson Esther Simasiku told The Namibian yesterday: “Whenever the homeless are counted, the data collected is saved on tablets under their names, and this can be used to verify their information in case the cards given to them as proof of being counted are lost.”

Simasiku further said the census uses three different forms of questionnaire to collect the data, with form A used in conventional households as it contains more questions. Form B is for institutions like hostels etc., where visitors to Namibia slept, while form C is for the special population which includes the homeless.

Simasuku said the homeless were counted from 00h00 on 25 September with the support of the City Police and Namibian Police officers who helped to identify different spots where the homeless could be located.

“The enumeration was done at night in order to catch them while they were sleeping,” she said.

Commenting on a video circulating on social media of a couple debating and refusing to share the required information of residents at their home, Simasiku said: “Yes, the nation has to understand that census is not just about counting the number of people, it has a lot of components to it like literacy, fertility, mortality, standard of living, which looks at questions on access to water, income levels, materials used to build houses and many more,” she said.

According to her, the public needs to understand that the census is also about socio-economic indicators required for development planning.

It is against this background that the NSA has been doing interviews on radio and television to educate the nation about the importance and benefits of the census undertakings, Simasiku added.

Last week The Namibian reported that census enumerators have allegedly become the victims of physical attacks and harassment while collecting data.

NSA enumerator Thiggipo Haihambo (33) says he was attacked by a group of five men at Oshakati West in the Oshana region on Wednesday evening.

“They approached me and were fighting to get hold of my census bag, which contained the tablet I use in the field, a power bank, books and copies of my identity documents, among many other personal items.

“I had to fight and run for my life, but I managed to get away with a cut in my face and a few scratches,” he says.

Haihambo says enumerators need police protection.

Oshana regional police commissioner Teophilus Kamati has confirmed the incident.

“Yes, a case was opened here at Oshakati Police Station of an incident that happened at Ompumbu, where a census enumerator residing in that area was attacked at around 21h00.

“The victim was on duty listing the households at Ompumbu. The suspects are unknown and no arrests have been made,” he says.

The driver of a census team, who prefers to remain anonymous, says his team was chased away by a farm owner in the Okahandja vicinity on Monday.

“We entered a farm and were sent back by a frustrated plot owner, who said we are driving an expensive vehicle and want to disturb his workers while they are on duty.

“We vacated the farm because he chased us, and it was not a good experience. We had to run back to the vehicle fast,” he says.

According to one of the team supervisors at Rundu in the Kehemu constituency, who preferred anonymity, some people do not want to cooperate, mostly those in the suburbs.

“An enumerator reported that her cellphone was grabbed by a group of four men, but with the help of the community who traced one of the culprits, the police managed to recover the cellphone,” he said.

NSA statistician general Alex Shimuafeni last week confirmed that an enumerator was assaulted in the Oshana region.

He says there is an agreement with the police and neighbourhood watch groups to ensure the safety of enumerators.

“It is unfortunate that he was assaulted, however he didn’t inform his supervisor that he was going to collect data at night,” he said.

Shimuafeni said arrangements would have been made for the rest of the team or the police to accompany the enumerator – especially to crime hotspots.

He confirmed that a census officer has encountered locked farm gates at Okahandja and returned with the police to speak to the farmers. He, however, said the team was not chased away.

“We are working with the police to make sure the safety of enumerators and public is secured,” Shimuafeni said.