Zimstats urged to engage BCC in second count

The Bulawayo United Residents Association (BURA) has called on Zimstats to engage the local authority to make use of the local authority’s housing offices dotted around the high density for a second counting process.

This follows complaints from some local residents and surrounding areas that they were not counted in the census exercise as the enumerators never visited their households. BURA chairperson, Winos Dube said the association was receiving complaints from residents across the city claiming they had not been counted.

“This necessitates a second round of visits to households by the enumerators, while we appreciate efforts by Zimstats to call on those who were affected to visit their regional offices, we do not believe it is everyone who will be able to afford to visit these offices for the sole purpose of being counted,” Dube said.

“The Zimstats office should look for other means to ensure that the enumerators come closer to the people, for instance they could make use of the city council’s housing offices so that they (enumerators)are easily accessible to the people.”

Zimstats population and surveys director Washington Mapeta was this week quoted saying that those omitted by the exercise should register their complaints with their regional offices.

“Those who are claiming that they have been left out of the enumeration process can come to our offices so that we can verify,” he was quoted saying. Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) organising secretary, Ambrose Sibindi said the initial counting phase excluded most Seventh Day Adventist members who were on camp when the exercise started.

“The enumeration exercise was not properly carried out and it is our belief as residents that if it is not revisited the statistics obtained will not be a true reflection of what is on the ground,” said Sibindi.

Edwin Ndlovu, a resident concurred that Zimstats should use council offices for the second counting exercises. He said only a few residents will find it worthwhile to visit the provincial offices considering the enumerators were supposed to visit individual households.

Bulawayo deputy mayor, Amen Mpofu has also expressed concern on the accuracy of the statistics of the enumeration exercise following the chaos that obtained during the process.

According to the residents associations, some of the suburbs that were left out include Mpopoma, Mzilikazi, Nketa, Pumula and Cowdray Park.