04 Apr 2022

Statistics Botswana and Ministry of Finance and Economic Development teamed up a few days before the  end of the census to mobilise resources for rescuing the exercise in Kweneng East, one of the largest census districts in the country.

  In the area, which has some 955 enumeration centres, counting started a week after the March 18 commencement date owing to logistical challenges and technical glitches. 

“We had a serious shortage of vehicles to cover cattle posts and ploughing lands. In those areas counting started late,” revealed Kweneng District census technical coordinator Ms Onneetse Gaosekelwe in an interview on April 3.

  Originally scheduled to end on March 31, the census was extended by four days and officially ended April 4.

    On the eve of the census ending,  counting was continuing in earnest in Kweneng East after the finance ministry had dispatched 24 vehicles to fast track the process.

 Local taxis were also engaged to augment government vehicles in areas such as Molepolole. 

Ms Gaosekelwe said in an effort to speed up the process, where necessary, enumerators were prepared to also capture information manually. 

Enumerators from places such as Selebi Phikwe, Tonota and Orapa where counting had been completed were deployed to assist in Kweneng East. 

Kweneng East covers both Mogoditshane/Thamaga and Molepolole/Lentsweletau sub-districts. 

Meanwhile MP for Molepolole South, Mr Kabo Morwaeng who got counted on April 2, had encouraged others to participate in what he termed a very important exercise for the country. 

He explained that the line of questioning was designed to get vital information to aid government in policy making and planning. ends