OSHIVELO - The Namibia Statistics Agency’s (NSA) Information and Publicity Officer for the Guinas constituency in the Oshikoto region, Hendrick Mwatotele said census enumerators are encountering difficulties in accessing commercial farms and lodges in the area.

Mwatotele, on Thursday, said commercial farmers are denying NSA staff access to their premises.

“We are urging commercial farmers and the entire community to cooperate with us as we only have a few days left,” said Mwatotele.

He said some farmers and lodge owners are requesting appointments from enumerators due to their busy daily schedules, and occasionally, farm owners are absent.

“We try to engage them, but they are very difficult people. Some of them try to bring their people outside the farms to be enumerated,” said Mwatotele.

He further said the law allows for charges to be brought against those who refuse to participate in the census, but they do not want to go to that extent.

The penalty is a fine of N$50 000, five years in prison, or both.

He said they have received complaints that enumerators’ visits coincide with peak customer activity at lodges.

“Lodges are complaining that they have customers when enumerators visit their lodges and we cannot interrupt people who are busy working,” said Mwatotele.

Mokuti Lodge front desk supervisor Jessie Goliath said there are shift changes that may negatively affect the enumerators, but they will engage all their staff members to cooperate with NSA staff.

NSA spokesperson Iipumbu Sakaria encouraged everyone to participate in the census, regardless of their immigration status or living conditions. He emphasised the importance of collecting accurate statistics for planning and monitoring purposes.

“Everyone will be counted irrespective of whether they have national documents or not; no one is left out as people are counted where they sleep,” said Sakaria.

The Population and Housing Census started on 18 September and ends on 3 November 2023. -Nampa