Payment of enumerators

ROOI OLIFANT WRITES:

As an avid follower of the national population and housing census, with vested interest as a tax payer and against the backdrop of the Fishrot case, I herewith air my views with regard to the clumsy late payments of enumerators by the Namibian Statistics Agency (NSA), which I hope will fast track this process.

With due reference to the statement made by honourable prime minister Saara Kuugongelwa on Tuesday 7 November 2023 in parliament that the payments of “census workers” according to her, would have been affected on that date but were delayed to date, it turns out that she blatantly lied to the nation on national television. This comes after it was reported in October on NBC TV national news that the money was released to the NSA for final payments. Why are payments still delayed then? Up to now, the NSA, under the offices of the president and the prime minister, has shown grave disregard and disrespect towards enumerators through the gross breach of contract, which creates room for national embarrassment, political exploitation, conflicting street rumours, potential disregard of contractual obligations on account of field staff, especially with regard to the oath of secrecy viz-a-viz sensitive census information, and rising threats of public demonstrations. This is just but another instance in which the president, the prime minister, the NSA, and Swapo cannot be trusted by the nation. Who will still vote for them in 2024 in the face of such gross disregard and disrespect? Who?

With regard to the bridge between the pre-engagement and main contracts, all payments are always late. Furthermore, losing documents on the part of HR, speaks of tardiness, incompetence, and disorganisation, which could be witnessed during the training of enumerators already. Up until now, the enumerators have been bombarded with hearsay, street rumours and mind games by the NSA, which has not even supplied field staff with copies of contracts for future references and disregards their own payment period of 30 days after the just concluded census. Instead, enumerators are inundated with five payment dates (31/10/23, 6/11/23, 10/11/23, 13/11/23, and 30/11/23), thus far from different quarters, and two official press releases by the NSA, which create confusion. The final verifications of information with regard to enumerators are equally flimsy. Up to date, all tax certificates, bank details, census gadgets, and documents were already verified, submitted, and signed for, of which the tax certificates and banking details were already submitted twice, right at training and during the signing of the main contract. The disciplinary cases (more than 2 000 apparently) should be handled separately too. And how would field staff workers receive double payments if the NSA verified all information already and made payments? Furthermore, how is it possible that final payments are taxable, which are not even more than ten thousand Namibian dollars for enumerators? In the meantime, some training weekend payments were never affected towards trainees either after empty promises. There is also no mention of airtime payments towards field staff in the press releases, as stated in the main contract. In some instances, the NSA also deducted unrealistic amounts for lunch during training without consent at places such as Keetmanshoop. In light of the above and the fact that enumerators had to work in all kinds of weather elements, under difficult conditions, and facing all kinds of dangerous situations without police presence, it is important that their efforts be respected. Pay the people their due on time without further delays, and stop all unrealistic demands and lying to and confusing them. They have urgent financial matters and pressing needs. They go hungry because of the PM, the president, and the NSA.

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