Confusion has characterized the ongoing national census recruitment exercise as multitudes turned up for aptitude test at Lusaka Business and Technical College.
A stampede occurred as the thousands who thronged the business college broke some glass panes while demanding the exercise to start prompting Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary Robert Kamalata and the Police to visit the institute to calm the situation.
Lusaka Province Permanent Secretary Robert Kamalata, who addressed the multitudes, described the situation as overwhelming and called for calm.
Mr Kamalata stated that the overwhelming response in the recruitment exercise was not expected saying there was need to relocate to a more conducive place for the aptitude tests.
He announced that government would provide buses for the applicants to Heroes’ stadium and that the aptitude test would be rescheduled to later in the afternoon.
‘’ The numbers are too high something we didn’t anticipate, I therefore ask you to relocate to heroes stadium where it’s spacious,’’ he stated.
But some applicants talked said government should have taken into consideration the number of applicants who were called for the aptitude test before deciding the venue.
The applicants who requested to be anonymous said it would not be possible for the buses to ferry the multitudes to Heroes stadium and appealed to government to reschedule the programme.
“It will take the whole day to ferry us to the stadium, what time then, can we write the aptitude test,” they wondered.
A check at heroes’ stadium around 12 : 00 hours found some applicants who opted to use their own transport had started arriving.
Zambia Statistics Agency ZamStats will be conducting its sixth census population and Housing scheduled for August 18 to September 14 2022.
And As the country steps up preparations for the forthcoming National Census of Population and Housing, Chinsali district has joined the rest of the country in conducting aptitude tests for the shortlisted candidates for positions of the 2022 National Census of Population and Housing supervisors and enumerators.
District Census Committee chairperson, Samson Muchemwa has urged committee members not to be impartial as they select would be supervisors and enumerators.
He said the anchor of quality data collection begins with the caliber of field enumerators and supervisors selected.
Mr. Muchemwa was speaking during the briefing of committee members on their roles and responsibilities during the 2022 National Census of Population and Housing programme held in his office today.
He said the objective of the committee cannot be over emphasised as the committee is expected to rise above the challenges by ensuring that it renders necessary support to the exercise.
“I expect every civil servant in this committee to be level headed and ensure that the objective of this noble exercise is met,” he said.
This year’s National Census of Population and Housing is being conducted in a decentralised plan from National up to sub-zonal level.
The exercise is expected to commence on 18th August to 14th September 2022 under the theme “Everyone Counts.”
The first-ever electronic Census in Zambia has suffered postponements on a number of occasions.
The National Census of Population and Housing was initially supposed to have been held in August 2020 but was pushed to 2021 before being pushed to August this year.
Zambia conducts a Census of Population and Housing every decade with the last Census having been conducted in 2010.
Meanwhile, Kabompo District Census Committee Chairperson, Hubert Chinyanga says the district is set for the implementation of the 2022 census.
Mr Chinyanga, who is also Kabompo District Commissioner, said all equipment to be used for the recruitment and implementation of the census is already in the district.
He said this in Kabompo today during a district census committee meeting on census recruitment for Kabompo enumerators and supervisors.
“We are ready and set for the recruitment and eventual implementation of the 2022 census. All logistics have been put in place and all equipment has been received for the exercise,” Mr. Chinyanga said.
And speaking at the same event, Kabompo District Census Coordinator, Clymore Kalyangile said the officers are ready for the aptitude test admission adding that the district is expected to recruit about 176.
Mr. Kalyangile said candidates shortlisted are expected to undergo a ten days training in readiness for the census exercise.
“We are ready chairperson, for the exercise, our candidates are expected to be examined using tablets and once done will undergo a ten day training,” he said.
Doesn’t surprise me under this govt. A confused government led by a confused president =?
There is enormous unemployment in Zambia. Even after signing in more than 41 public workers, the country’s employment overburden. All job recruitments are chaotic.
So sad, the kind of problems Lungu left behind! Its no wonder his butt was kicked out.