‘You can’t count us in shacks’

Census enumerators continue to face challenges, with some poor people living in shacks refusing to partake in the exercise while living in such conditions.

Language barriers and general mistrust in the Swapo government have also cast shadows on the national population and housing census so far.

The exercise kicked off on 18 September and will run until 3 November.

A range of footage reviewed by Namibian Sun shows community members from various parts of the country unequivocally refusing to be counted and venting their frustration to enumerators.

While poor communities have expressed their discontent, other video footage has also shown farmers and lodge owners locking their gates, while peppering enumerators with profanity.

“If you are here to count us, tell us ‘listen, how many people are you on this farm’? Don’t waste people’s time. Why do you need that additional information? We are also people, we are not stupid!” a farm owner remarked in a video that has been circulating.

“It has nothing to do with you how many houses are on this farm. Census does not mean how many sheep, guinea fowl... Census means how many people are there.”

‘We are not your children’

A lodge owner complained that people should not be counted at their workplaces such as lodges, but at their homes when they lock up at 22:00.

In another incident, a farmer cornered census officials on his farm - because they drove around to establish the number of buildings on the land - getting involved in an ugly verbal fight and exchanging profanities with an enumerator.

Despite attempts by calmer officials to explain the context of these questions, the farmer remained adamant, saying he cannot understand what the government’s interest is in an old building on a farm.

“Go and ask the government those questions! We are not your children!” an official angrily responded.

Another enumerator told Namibian Sun yesterday that he has been chased from several homes.

"Others are drinking and get rude and insult us."

Repercussions

Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) statistician-general and CEO Alex Shimuafeni said they have received deeply disturbing complaints over the weekend and are currently looking into how to address them.

He also reminded Namibians of the repercussions if they refuse to be counted - which is a N$50 000 fine, five years’ imprisonment or both.

“I have seen some [people] want to lecture us how to do our job. Basically, the census is just like any other survey – there is the issue of demographics where your age comes in. When they ask what type of floors are in your house and what it is covered with, it informs us of the level of development of people and how people living,” he said.

According to political analyst Ndumba Kamwanyah, what is currently playing out in Namibia is a “form of public protest” and disapproval against the direction the country is headed.

“The message is clear for current government and the Swapo Party in particular - the honeymoon is over.

“But it also raises moral and philosophical questions. How do you want to count a homeless person, a poor person or an unemployed person who is not sharing in the country's prosperity? It's a pity that census might be compromised because of the government's failure to deliver,” he said.

He added that the defiance of Namibians is an indication that they are tired of empty promises, symbolic and rhetoric politics that do not improve their lives.

“In a way, it’s a show of no confidence. Census is a very crucial tool for public planning and has serious implications for societal well-being, but people no longer trust the government.”

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