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BY NQABA MATSHAZI
WHILE Zanu PF insists on holding elections this year, it has emerged that a population census expected this year may torpedo the party’s plans.
The country is due to hold the fourth census by August and experts warn that it will not be possible to conduct the survey while having elections in the same year.
A population census expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity for professional reasons, ruled out the possibility of holding elections before August.
“Both the census and elections employ the use of civil servants, that means that both cannot be done at the same time,” he said.
“The population census, for statistical reasons has to be held this year, so it cannot be postponed for any reason, which means the elections may have to take a back seat.”
While not discounting that politicians could force the holding of elections, from a feasibility point of view, he said it was impossible to have them.
Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (Zimstat) boss Mutasa Dzinotizei could not be drawn to comment on the potential conflict on elections and the census.
“I can only comment on technical and professional issues — not on political issues,” he said.
But leader of a faction of the MDC, Welshman Ncube said it was virtually impossible to hold elections this year, and the census worked against any idea to have polls. He said while Zanu PF insisted on having polls this year, it was being disingenuous and it was part of its strategy to stay in power.
“There is still too much to be done before elections are held. What Zanu PF is doing is to keep the nation in suspense knowing only too well that elections cannot be held this year,” he said.
Ncube said it was impossible to hold elections, a referendum and a census within the same year.
“Forget it, it is not going to happen. It is impossible to have all those things done within 11 months,” he said.
Political analyst Charles Mangongera concurred that the census and other logistical issues made it virtually impossible to hold elections this year.
“The census is important in mapping the demographic profile of the country and the census will be important for the country ahead of the delimitation exercise,” he said.
The delimitation exercise divides the country into constituencies and the census could be useful in determining the size of constituencies, Mangongera said.
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