21 Mar 2022

Kgosi Malope II, Southern District Council (SDC) Chairperson, Mr Thamiso Chabalala and Kanye Administrative Authority (KAA) Chairperson, Mr Simon Ramaphoi were the first to be enumerated when the 2021 Population and Housing Census commenced in Kanye on Sunday. 

Speaking to BOPA after being enumerated, Kgosi Malope urged Batswana to welcome enumerators into their homes, cooperate with them and be enumerated as the exercise was of great importance. 

“Let us all take this exercise seriously,” he said. He noted the  census assisted the government in planning for developments, adding that the number of people in a certain area determined the type of developments needed. Meanwhile, Mr Chabalala said he was very happy to have been enumerated and urged Batswana to do the same. 

“This exercise comes after every ten years, do not miss this important activity,” he said. 

He said investors also used the statistics to understand where and at what magnitude to invest. invest. 

Mr Chabalala appealed to parents to encourage their children to be enumerated at their home villages as that had direct impact on developments. 

“Sometimes people complain of lack of developments, but you will find that they do not take place because of low numbers of people in the area,” he said. 

For his part, Mr Ramaphoi said the census also helped in terms of delimitation of constituencies. Census Technical Coordinator, Southern Region, Ms Ruth Kauthengwa, explained that they started with the leadership to motivate the general public. 

She said another area in which statistics were used was in the delimitation process. 

She explained that all people residing in Botswana were to be enumerated and urged all to cooperate with them.

“No one should be left behind,” she said.  BOPA