THE OVERALL 2012 CENSUS EXECUTION IN TANZANIA

Tanzania’s fourth national census since independence started on August 26. The exercise is carried out every decade and it is an essential part of national development and establishing the number of Tanzanians in the soul of national development planning. The Population and Housing Census yields information that provides crucial raw material for facilitating planning covering economic growth, health service delivery, social welfare improvement, agricultural development, education sector promotion, infrastructure upgrading, investments, and other important areas. It also smoothens the task of deciding how resources should be best allocated.

However, the census has not received universal support. Tanzanians wake up to the knocks of survey takers going from house to house asking “Who slept here last night?” Before the government started to carry out this exercise we heard several members of the community threatening to boycott enumerators, and civilians, religious leaders and village chairmen in various parts of the country demanding not to participate in the census exercise.

In order to evaluate opinions of the census’ implementation among Tanzania’s civil society organizations, Envaya team surveyed several CSO’s, including AWITA, BRIGHTY DESTINY TANZANIA, KINONDONI NETWORK OF PEOPLE WIH HIV, TANZANIA SCIENCE JOURNALIST ASSOCIATION, and WAYETA. The survey was in the form of questionnaires and we interviewed people from all the CSO’s mentioned to know their opinion on the implementation of the 2012 census.

One interviewee who asked to stay anonymous complained that the government did not provide enough awareness for this process. Most Tanzanian citizens are unaware of the meaning and the purpose of being counted, he said, and if civilians were well educated on this matter, all these demonstrations would not happen. He also asked “Have we not been prepared for this occasion for the past decade? How come we have logistical problems regarding timely delivery of the necessary materials, awareness raising and payment of allowances?If we have failed to plan properly to ensure that we get gold-standard outcomes from the census exercise, how sure are we that the results will be put to effective use in the bigger picture of national planning?  Had we planned exhaustively for this crucial exercise, would news about these shortcomings be coming up now?”

The interviewee also said that everyone involved in this exercise should play their role in ensuring that we get it right the first time, but that now is not the time for posturing or issuing threats.

Some people perceive the week-long exercise as meaningless, while others acknowledge that it is important, but feel that it is not a top priority issue. They would rather have the resources committed to the census invested in areas they consider more pressing. Yet others dismiss it as a periodic formality that only serves to show that Tanzania’s population is increasing, as if bigger numbers were something to be proud of.

A woman from AWITA said “some people co-operated in facilitating the census success, but either don’t see and feel the benefits, or are beneficiaries who aren’t adequately briefed on the link between the two.” In addition to that, they are updated on how the population grows as the years go by, but, either don’t witness changes in sectors like infrastructure that should be visible and public knowledge, or information on such issues is lacking, or doesn’t flow properly and effectively.

As the authorities announce that the national population and housing census recorded 80 per cent success, the team learnt that in some suburbs there were misunderstandings between the enumerators and the local government leaders. Furthermore, there are cases when local area government leaders, appointed to accompany the enumerators, abandoned the exercise claiming they were not paid allowances.

The houses where the census exercise is completed were marked with a tick. However, a person from Bright Destiny Tanzania (BDT) said that in Manzese most houses were not marked to show they were not visited by the enumerators. Also enumerators found doors of some houses were locked with padlocks to show the occupants were away and there were no signs of children playing around. Some enumerators were chased away by larger knives and bats, and also the enumerators found difficulties introducing themselves to home owners who were apparently concerned with the lack of distinctive uniform. According to the interviewee, lack of uniforms, identity cards, hats, reflectors and bags, identifiable gear and reflective jackets were confusing the people and made them uncooperative.

Most respondents that were interviewed said that the issue of boycotting was caused by lack of census education, and if the government would raise awareness to the citizens on the benefits of census no one would boycott to be counted. A common opinion was that the government should not punish those who boycotted because it is the government’s fault that they did not provide education to them.

Also, interviewees said that there should be an effective involvement of local leaders in the exercise; because enumerators were not native to the areas, therefore many households provided unreliable information to the enumerators due to taboo and norms. The enumerators should be native to the areas and known by most of people over there and be accompanied by indigenous local leaders in order to collect the most reliable information.

One interviewee insisted that “Census plays an important role in laying the foundations of the country’s development, if  the government will be giving the census feedback to the citizens we will support the government on this and we’ll distancing ourselves from whoever that doesn't  want to be counted.”

One interviewee said, “We see that Muslims have been threatening to boycott the national population and housing census over religious issues. Therefore I advise all religious leaders to educate their followers on the importance of census in any country instead of encouraging them to boycott, because religious leaders are very powerful and influential to their believers.”

The general feeling within the communities we have interviewed is that they need to know more about the importance of a Census count every decade and receive feedback after the census has been conducted so that they can be satisfied with the outcome of the Census. Over the course of the census week we have seen commercials on television and heard them on radio about how important this exercise is. Various local shows have covered this topic and slowly we have come to see what benefits we receive from this census. However it is still not enough, we need more information. Unfortunately some have come to realize a little too late after refusing to be counted. It is up to us as leaders of small and big CSO's and NGO's to demand this information for our community and educate our communities on this exercise and not be too scared to ask the government to provide seminars to educate small and large CSO's and NGO's so we can then educate our communities.

Participate in our discussion about the census by adding a comment below!

UTEKELEZAJI WA SENSA YA WATU NA MAKAZI KWA MWAKA 2012

Hili ni zoezi la nne la sensa ya watu na makazi tangu kupatikana kwa uhuru wa Tanzania mwaka 1961. Sensa hii hufanyika baada ya miaka kumi kama utaratibu ulivyo tangu kuanza kwa zoezi hili. Kwa mwaka huu zoezi lilianza tarehe 26/08/2012 kwa nchi nzima.Umuhimu wa zoezi hili ni kujua idadi ya watanzania na makazi yao ili serikali iweze kupanga mikakati yake ya maendeleo katika sekta mbalimbali kama vile afya, kilimo, elimu, miundombinu, uwekezaji na sehemu nyingine muhimu. Pia zoezi hili linaiwezesha serikali kujua namna ya kugawanya rasilimali zake kwa wananchi wake.

Watanzania waliamshwa na makalani wa sensa katika kuhesabiwa na kuulizwa maswali kama, “ni nani aliyelala na kuamkia kwenye familia hii?”.  Kabla ya serikali kuanza kutekeleza zoezi hili tulisikia juu ya kugoma kwa makalani kutokana na kwamba walicheleweshewa malipo ya posho zao kama yalivyokuwa mapatano yao na serikali, pia tulisikia migomo mbalimbali kutoka kwa raia, viongozi wa dini na wenyeviti wa vijiji katika kona mbalimbali za nchi kwa madai ya kutoshiriki zoezi la sensa.

Kufuatia hayo yote, Envaya kama shirika la kijamii liliamua kufanya utafiti ili kujua utekelezaji wa mchakato mzima. Timu yake ilifanya utafiti wake kwa asasi zifuatazo ; AWITA, BRIGHTY Destiny TANZANIA, KINONDONI NETWORK OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV, TANZANIA SCIENCE JOURNALIST ASSOCIATION , WAYETA n.k utafiti  huu ulikuwa katika mundo wa dodoso na tuliwahoji wawakilishi wa asasi zote ambazo zimetajwa hapo juu ili kupata maoni yao juu ya utekelezaji wa zoezi la sensa 2012.

Mfano mmoja wa mhojiwa ambaye aliomba jina lisiandikwe, aliilaumu serikali kwa kushindwa kutoa elimu ya kutosha kuhusu sensa kwa wananchi,aliendelea kusisitiza kuwa  wananchi wengi wa Tanzania hawajui maana na madhumuni ya kuhesabia. Endapo  raia wangekuwa wameelimishwa vizuri nadhani haya maandamano na migomo isingetokea. Aliendelea kusema "baadhi ya maswali yanakuja akilini mwetu kwamba : kwani serikali ya Tanzania haijawahi kufanya zoezi kama hili kwa miaka iliyopita? Sasa mbona tunakuwa wageni wa jambo hili? Hii sasa hivi ni sensa ya nne katika nchi yetu kwanini tumeshindwa kujirekebisha? Matatizo yanajirudia yaleyale mfano; tunasikia sare za makalani hakuna, posho hakuna, vitendea kazi hakuna kwa ujumla kwanini serikali inashindwa kujirekebisha? Alisisitiza mhojiwa mbele ya timu ya Envaya kwa kusema serikali yetu inaigiza sana!”

Baadhi ya watu wanaona zoezi la sensa kwa wiki nzima ni muda mrefu na halina maana, wakati wengine wanakiri na kusema kwamba ni zoezi ambalo lina umuhimu mkubwa sana kwa nchi. Pia kuna wengine ambao wanaliona zoezi hili la sensa kama utamaduni tu wa kila baada ya miaka kumi lakini kimsingi halina maana.

Mwanamke kutoka AWITA alisema "baadhi ya watu walishiriki kikamilifu katika utekelezaji wa zoezi hili, lakini japokuwa walishiriki wala hawaoni faida yoyote ya kuhesabiwa. Alisema “hatuoni faida yoyote na wala hakuna dalili zozote za mabadiliko katika maendeleo, naona serikali inafanya zoezi hili ili labda tu kujisifia mbele ya mataifa mengine kwamba ina idadi kubwa ya watu. Baada ya sensa huwa hatuoni taarifa yoyote kurudi kwa wananchi, na kuambiwa mikakati yoyote ya kimaendeleo itakayofanyika baada ya zoezi la sensa”.

Timu ya Envaya iligundua kuwa baadhi ya maeneo kulikuwa na hali ya kutoelewana baina ya wenyeviti wa mitaa/vijiji na makalani wa sense. Eneo kama la Manzese  makalani wengine walipata shida sana kwa sababu walikuta nyumba nyingine zimefungwa na hakuna mtu. Wengine walifukuzwa kwa visu na mapanga na pia makalani wengine walishindwa kuruhusiwa kwenye familia zingine kufanya zoezi hilo kwasababu hawakuwa na sare za kazi. Alisisitiza kijana kutoka asasi ya BRIGHT DESTINY TANZANIA (BDT).

Wengi wa waliohojiwa kupitia dodoso za timu ya Envaya walisema suala la kugomea zoezi la sensa kwa baadhi ya wananchi ni kutokana na ukosefu wa elimu ya sensa. Walisema kama serikali ingekuwa imetoa elimu ya kutosha kwa wananchi wake maana ya sensa, umuhimu na faida zake hakuna mtu hata mmoja angegoma  kuhesabiwa. Walisema pia serikali haipaswi kuwashitaki wale waliogomea zoezi hili kwasababu si kosa lao bali ni kosa la serikali yenyewe kutokutoa elimu ya sensa.

Vile vile, waliohojiwa walisema ili serikali kwa siku za usoni iweze kufanikisha zoezi hili kwa ufanisi mkubwa lazima ishirikishe kwa ukaribu sana viongozi wa ngazi za chini kabisa kama wajumbe na mabalozi kwa maana hao ndo wanaishi karibu na jamii zao wanazielewa familia zote kwahiyo taarifa zitakazotolewa kwa kalani mbele ya mjumbe zinakuwa zina ukweli mkubwa. Sahivi watu hawatoi taarifa za ukweli kwa makalani kwa sababu hawawajui na kulingina na mila zetu mtu hawezi kutoa taarifa zenye ukweli kwa mtu asiyemjua.

Alisema mmoja wa mhojiwa, kwa sababu sensa ina umuhimu katika kuweka misingi ya kimaendeleo ya nchi, kama serikali itakuwa inatoa taarifa kwa wananchi ya nini kimefanyika baada ya sensa, watu wataelimika na watakuwa tayari kuhesabiwa kwa hiari kabisa na si kwa kulazimishwa kwa sababu watakuwa wameshajua umuhimu wa kuhesabiwa.

Alisema mmoja wa mhojiwa, pia natoa ushauri kwa viongozi wote wa dini lazima kuwaelimisha wafuasi wao juu ya umuhimu wa sensa katika nchi yoyote badala ya kuwahimiza kugoma, kwa sababu viongozi wa dini wana nguvu na ushawishi mkubwa sana kwa waumini wao.

Fikira iliyotawala juu ya zoezi lote hili la sensa ni kwamba wananchi wanahitaji kujua zaidi kuhusu umuhimu wa zoezi hili ambalo hufanyika kila baada ya miezi 10. Ndani ya wiki ya zoezi hili la sensa tumeona vipindi vingi kwenye runinga na kusikia kwenye maredio kuhusu umuhimu wa sensa, lakina bado jamii inahitaji taarifa zaidi ili kuelewa haswa sensa ina umuhimu gani na inamaana gani. Kwa bahati mbaya watu wengi wamegundua baadae sana umuhumu wa sensa ambapo zoezi limeshamalizika. Ni jukumu letu kama mashirika madogo na makubwa yasiyo ya kiserikali kujua umuhimu wa sensa na kuelimisha jamii zetu. Kama tunaona hata sisi wenyewe hatujaelewa tusisite kufuata taarifa serekalini hata kuomba semina kwaajila ya mashirika kama yetu ili tuweze kuelewa na kuelewesha jamii zetu kuhusu zoezi hili...

Toa maoni yako hapo chini!