Acting Mayor cast doubt on Bulawayo's census accuracy

Councillor Amen Mpofu - Bulawayo's Acting Mayor has expressed doubt that the 2012 census would produce correct figures of the Zimbabwean population arguing questions asked by enumerators could result in the exclusion of some people in the process.

"I doubt if this year's census will produce correct figures of the population considering the reservations I had after the enumerators visited my home," he said.

"Some of the people in my suburb went to a church meeting before August 17 and when the enumerators visited their homes they did not count them saying they will be counted where they were.

But until they finished their church meeting no enumerator had counted them. They were not counted at home and in church. How then will this process come up with proper figures of the population?"

Mpofu said there was need for accuracy in the process as the figures would be used in the constituency delimitation exerciseahead of the next general elections.

"There is a lot of hidden politics in this census thing because that is how constituencies are going to be based," he said.

"Failure to count people properly here in Bulawayo will result in few constituencies to the advantage of the political parties which normally lose in Bulawayo. If you look at most of Matabeleland constituencies they are too big and can be divided into two."