The Namibia Statistics Agency's (NSA) Chief Executive Officer, Alex Shimuafeni, says they broadened the qualification criteria for enumerators from Grade 12 to Grade 10 to address unemployment.

This comes after several protests by youth in different parts of the country, claiming they were excluded.

Shimuafeni stated that they cannot employ just anyone, as they need people who are able to pull off the job and meet the set criteria.

He says that they were planning to go a little lower than the required criteria for grades twelve and ten.

However, he says that they cannot lower the criteria, as people must be trainable and should be able to carry out what is expected of them.

"This is a digital census; they need to be able to use the data also, and many of them with grades twelve and ten could do that. So, what we have done is that the people have applied based on constituencies and have to have letters in terms of place of residence that they are from there, and we have also seen that some of the constituencies have put in letters saying that they are marginalised."

Shimuafeni further explained that a special quota has been set for marginalised people, but that they will still continue assessing the suitability of more after training has been conducted.

"They also need to write an assessment at the end of the day, and those who pass the test will be selected, and then the rest will be reserved, but specifically for Tsumkwe. Because of the language barrier, some of them who have passed but not so well could also be employed as translators for that specific area."

In addition, Shimuafeni says that they are currently looking at the IKhomani people and other marginalised groups to give them an opportunity after the training.