13 000 census jobs: NSA throws lifeline to rural areas

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) has announced that libraries, rural information, communication and technology centres, and constituency offices have been made available to assist those without technological devices to apply online for 13 000 temporary census jobs.

This was announced in a statement yesterday and follows the /Khomanin community’s outcry over their exclusion from the online recruitment process and comes after senior traditional councillor Walter Haseb expressed dissatisfaction with the process.

NSA has so far received 60 000 applications for 13 000 temporary census jobs, as the recruitment deadline on Friday draws near, in yet another example of a scramble for jobs. NSA statistician general Alex Shimuafeni said earlier this week the recruitment drive targets unemployed youth and will not consider applications from fully employed Namibians or those younger than 18.

“We have a serious concern with the census recruitment being online,” Haseb said last week.

He said many young people in his community lack access to the internet and devices, making it difficult for them to apply online.

“Based on media reports and listening to the radio, this concern is not only limited to the /Khomanin community, but also affects other rural areas where people do not have facilities,” he said.

Meantime, the /Khomanin Traditional Authority has said it wants the recruitment process stopped so that “everyone can apply without difficulty”.

“Unless the NSA deliberately wants to exclude the /Khomanin people, we strongly suggest that the census be put on hold and that proper consultation be done to ensure all people from rural areas are fairly incorporated in the recruitment process he said.

On Monday, Shimuafeni said applications have not been assessed ahead of Friday’s deadline.

“Imagine, by [last] Thursday we already had 60 000 applicants, and they are going to be done online, because we are going to have a digital census.

“But it is cumbersome to have these manual applications, and to go through them will take some time, and we may not even meet the deadline. “From next week, once the due date has closed, we will need to start sorting the applications, selecting and doing assessments. It’s very difficult to do interviews for those applicants, but we will do some assessment so that we make sure that the process is fair,” he said.

NSA has also shown leniency in terms of vehicle requirements.

The deadline for vehicle registration with NSA lapsed last Friday, but has been extended for another week.

Shimuafeni said the vehicle age requirement has been extended from 10 to 15 years.

These will cater for 8 000 enumeration areas countrywide during the census period.

“We are also saying that vehicles can be 2x4s, and not only 4x4s. We are going to remunerate people for using their vehicles, and it’s not a matter of giving a vehicle to the NSA, but one of you driving your own vehicle in your own constituency.