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Enumerators Unpaid For August 2012 National Census Work


Many enumerators who worked for the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency during last August’s census remain unpaid with four provinces so far being the only ones to receive money for work done.

According to state-media, a population census manager confirmed that only workers from four provinces have been paid.

Nearly 40,000 enumerators participated in the national exercise. Workers from Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and South and Mashonaland Central have been paid.

Population census officials maintain payment of workers is the sole responsibility of the finance ministry that should avail the money.

Some enumerators, who were expecting to be paid more than $800 each for their work during last year’s national census, reported being paid less than half soon after the exercise ended.

President Takavafira Zhou of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe told VOA the government must act immediately and ensure civil servants who participated in the process are paid.

He said the matter has become of national emergency as such a delay will hinder civil servants from accepting national duties.

Epworth resident and teacher Mr. Chimutashu, who remains unpaid after his work in the national census, told VOA enumerators remain in the dark over their payments, only receiving updates through rumors of payments in other regions.

“Here in Harare we have given up,” said Chimutashu, adding that “up to now we haven’t heard anything from the authorities about when they are going to pay us.”

Harare along with Manicaland, Mashonaland East and West, Masvingo and Midlands remain the provinces yet to be paid.

Chimutashu said he and other workers want and need their payments, and the $150 government availed after the end of the exercise is peanuts compared to what he is owed.

Preliminary results from the August 2012 population census revealed Zimbabwe’s population is about 12.9 million people, a 1.1 percent increase from 2002 when the country had 11.6 million.
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