Statistics Botswana to pilot census
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday October 25, 2021 06:00
A census is a way of counting human population following a procedure of systematically obtaining or recording information on demographic, social and economic characterises at a specified time and within defined geographic boundaries.
The key parameters of a population census are individual enumeration, applicable defined territory, defined period of census count and periodicity or census interval.
It tests the methodology, questionnaires, data, collection methods, the training programme for field staff, instruction manuals, data editing and coding, data processing and data tabulation.
The census is a decennial national project occurring every 10 years. The last one was conducted in August 2011.
Speaking at a media briefing, Statistician General, Dr Burton Mguni said census is critical as it is used to review and change as deemed appropriate various key provisions relating to political representation in Parliament and at local government level such as the number of constituencies and related boundaries.
“A population and housing census count exercise covers every corner of the country and visits every dwelling and household,” he explained.
“Every person is counted regardless of citizenship status and at dissemination; the population is reported in its totality and disaggregated by citizens and non-citizens as well as other criteria for which data was collected.”
Mguni added the next census will be conducted having been postponed from last year due to the impact of the national measures taken in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus.
He said the census provides information on the geographic and administrative distribution of the population in addition to other demographic and socio-economic characteristics of all the people in the country.
The census is implemented by the District Commissions in their respective districts while Statistics Botswana, being the National Statistical Office, is entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating the project.
The National Census Coordinator (NCC) appointed by the Statistician General is responsible for overall oversight and coordination of the census project across all the districts.
For her part, the Gaborone District Commissioner, Grace Seitshiro said some of the core activities undertaken by the district census officers include dissemination of census information to communities, community mobilisation and stakeholder engagement with districts.
“They are critical in delivering census information to special groups in the communities, recruitment of census field workers and logistical arrangement for census activities. They will also compile census program reports for submission to the census authority SB,” she said.