NSA admits 'oversight' in grouping white Namibians
Statistician-General and Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) CEO Alex Shimuafeni has admitted to an "oversight" in categorising all white Namibians under one broad category in the 2023 Population and Housing Census Report, without distinguishing between Afrikaner, German-speaking and other white ethnic groups in the country.
Critics have lambasted the NSA's report as "inaccurate, unreliable and poorly executed," warning that the quality of census data is crucial for informed development planning and policy-making aimed at addressing the country’s pressing challenges.
Responding to National Council lawmaker Paulus Mbangu’s concerns on The Evening Review on Monday, Shimuafeni acknowledged that the report's handling of people of European descent, labelling them simply as "white", lacks variation.
"Yes, there may have been an oversight because there are different ethnicities within that group. If we look at ethnicity broadly, we need to consider it in its entirety, including how people identify themselves,” he said.
Shimuafeni highlighted that the census allowed respondents to self-identify, which influenced the data categories.
"Some may have identified as Oshiwambo-speaking, for example, without specifying subgroups like Kwanyama or Ndonga. Additionally, respondents could choose ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I prefer not to say,’ which also impacted our results."
Themed reports
Regarding labour statistics, Shimuafeni clarified that these figures weren’t excluded from the census but are to be presented in upcoming thematic reports.
"For context, labour statistics will be included in reports that offer a comprehensive view rather than just raw numbers. The labour-specific report is scheduled for release on 29 January 2025," he said, adding that the NSA’s thematic reports will roll out through March next year.
Shimuafeni also addressed the delays in releasing the census data, attributing them to setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and funding shortages.
“Considering these challenges, we were fortunate to complete the census. Our neighbouring countries, like Botswana and South Africa, took up to 21 months to release similar reports, while we completed ours in just 11 months,” he pointed out.
In response to Mbangu’s scepticism about certain figures, such as the Oshikwanyama-speaking population count, Shimuafeni explained that the NSA's data is based on self-identification and was gathered with the aid of GIS technology, allowing for geographic precision.
"For instance, individuals with mixed heritage might identify with one ethnicity. The GIS-enabled data collection allows us to verify reported figures by area, helping to address questions about data accuracy," he said.
"The importance of data is often subjective. For instance, the disabled community expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of disaggregated data on disabilities in our report. When we release a basic report, it provides an overview, while the thematic reports offer detailed statistics that meet the needs of specific stakeholders," he explained.
He added that the NSA's approach to labour statistics adheres to international standards, such as the International Classification of Labor Statisticians (ICLS), to ensure comparability.
"We provide data that aligns with the latest standards to ensure consistency in both international and national comparisons."
Inadequate planning
Mbangu’s criticism of the NSA is not new. Last year, he accused the agency of failing the two Kavango regions, arguing that past Population and Housing Censuses have done little to aid regional planning or government resource allocation.
"Although data is essential for planning purposes, for the past 33 years, the scientific evidence of previous censuses has not helped the two regions in any way," he said.
According to Mbangu, census and survey data stretching back to the early 1990s – including the 1991,1993, and 1994 national censuses and the income and expenditure surveys of those years—consistently indicated that the Kavango regions are among the poorest in Namibia.
The 1995 agricultural census echoed these findings, yet government budget allocations have not reflected the data, he said.
Mbangu added that subsequent censuses in 2001 and 2011, along with other surveys by the National Planning Commission (NPC), United Nations Development Programme and the University of Namibia, all reinforced the regions’ persistent poverty. However, he argued that the government has failed to incorporate this "scientific data collected on the ground" into meaningful planning and budget decisions.
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Critics have lambasted the NSA's report as "inaccurate, unreliable and poorly executed," warning that the quality of census data is crucial for informed development planning and policy-making aimed at addressing the country’s pressing challenges.
Responding to National Council lawmaker Paulus Mbangu’s concerns on The Evening Review on Monday, Shimuafeni acknowledged that the report's handling of people of European descent, labelling them simply as "white", lacks variation.
"Yes, there may have been an oversight because there are different ethnicities within that group. If we look at ethnicity broadly, we need to consider it in its entirety, including how people identify themselves,” he said.
Shimuafeni highlighted that the census allowed respondents to self-identify, which influenced the data categories.
"Some may have identified as Oshiwambo-speaking, for example, without specifying subgroups like Kwanyama or Ndonga. Additionally, respondents could choose ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I prefer not to say,’ which also impacted our results."
Themed reports
Regarding labour statistics, Shimuafeni clarified that these figures weren’t excluded from the census but are to be presented in upcoming thematic reports.
"For context, labour statistics will be included in reports that offer a comprehensive view rather than just raw numbers. The labour-specific report is scheduled for release on 29 January 2025," he said, adding that the NSA’s thematic reports will roll out through March next year.
Shimuafeni also addressed the delays in releasing the census data, attributing them to setbacks caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and funding shortages.
“Considering these challenges, we were fortunate to complete the census. Our neighbouring countries, like Botswana and South Africa, took up to 21 months to release similar reports, while we completed ours in just 11 months,” he pointed out.
In response to Mbangu’s scepticism about certain figures, such as the Oshikwanyama-speaking population count, Shimuafeni explained that the NSA's data is based on self-identification and was gathered with the aid of GIS technology, allowing for geographic precision.
"For instance, individuals with mixed heritage might identify with one ethnicity. The GIS-enabled data collection allows us to verify reported figures by area, helping to address questions about data accuracy," he said.
"The importance of data is often subjective. For instance, the disabled community expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of disaggregated data on disabilities in our report. When we release a basic report, it provides an overview, while the thematic reports offer detailed statistics that meet the needs of specific stakeholders," he explained.
He added that the NSA's approach to labour statistics adheres to international standards, such as the International Classification of Labor Statisticians (ICLS), to ensure comparability.
"We provide data that aligns with the latest standards to ensure consistency in both international and national comparisons."
Inadequate planning
Mbangu’s criticism of the NSA is not new. Last year, he accused the agency of failing the two Kavango regions, arguing that past Population and Housing Censuses have done little to aid regional planning or government resource allocation.
"Although data is essential for planning purposes, for the past 33 years, the scientific evidence of previous censuses has not helped the two regions in any way," he said.
According to Mbangu, census and survey data stretching back to the early 1990s – including the 1991,1993, and 1994 national censuses and the income and expenditure surveys of those years—consistently indicated that the Kavango regions are among the poorest in Namibia.
The 1995 agricultural census echoed these findings, yet government budget allocations have not reflected the data, he said.
Mbangu added that subsequent censuses in 2001 and 2011, along with other surveys by the National Planning Commission (NPC), United Nations Development Programme and the University of Namibia, all reinforced the regions’ persistent poverty. However, he argued that the government has failed to incorporate this "scientific data collected on the ground" into meaningful planning and budget decisions.
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