Stefanus Nashama
The United Peoples Movement (UPM) has expressed its disappointment with the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) for not paying the enumeration workers, who participated in the fieldwork of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
Expressing the concern last week, the party leader Jan van Wyk, stated that it is unbelievable that the agency would continuously fail to address the issue of pending payments.
“It is unacceptable that workers must now wait so long for their hard-earned wages, further deepening the financial woes they currently face. These same workers have endured a lot of inconvenience in ensuring the job is done and done right,” said van Wyk.
According to the party, allegations have it that, the agency’s staff members who participated in the fieldwork have received their payments, while enumerators are still begging for what they have worked for.
At the same time, the Party claims unpaid enumerators are being exploited by the NSA simply because they are unemployed.
“It would seem that the unemployed were not just taken to alleviate unemployment but also exploited and victimised in this period,” he said.
Previously, UPM accused some officials from the NSA of posing threats to replace enumerators and team supervisors when they asked about their still unpaid wages for the National Census fieldwork.
“Numerous complaints have been received to our office from various constituencies and towns, regarding some enumerators and team supervisors, who wish to remain anonymous due to intimidation, when they enquire about their situations, their wages, etc, the officials from NSA threaten them with replacement,” he stressed.
Despite UPM’s take on the matter, last month, the NSA urged enumerators involved in fieldwork, who have yet to receive their remuneration to remain patient.
The agency was actively addressing the issue, aiming to complete all payments by the end of October.
At a media conference in Windhoek, updating on the 2023 population and housing census and the launch of the post-enumeration survey, NSA Statistician-General Alex Shimuafeni assured that payments would be expedited.
Shimuafeni revealed that 60 percent of the enumerators have already been compensated, leaving only 40 percent awaiting payment.
“The funds are in the NSA bank account. Payments will be completed as swiftly as possible and before the month’s end. All enumerators will receive their full payment,” he vowed.
He further explained that the payments are being processed by the constituency to streamline the process.
The UPM has since appealed to the NSA to make payments for the unpaid enumerators, in a reasonable time.
