The Census exercise has not been a walk in the park, with enumerators being chased and/or harassed by the public.

News anchor Elago Shitaatala spoke to Statistician-General Alex Shimuafeni about the progress made so far.

Although this is not Namibia's first population and housing census, there appears to be a general lack of understanding of the importance of this national exercise.

Not only that, but some say they have not tasted the fruits of the government's planning efforts.

The nbc News team gauged the views of residents on the western side of the city.

Mundu Omuua Mieze says he understands the need for counting the population, but adds that it does not amount to any benefit at his level.

In a critical development for the nation's data-gathering efforts, the National Statistics Agency (NSA) is facing formidable challenges as it undertakes a comprehensive population and housing census.

In a recent update on the year's enumeration efforts, Deputy Statistician General of the NSA, Ottilie Mwazi, and Population and Housing Census Manager, Ndapandula Ndikwetepo, provided insights into the progress and challenges faced by the agency.

Vice President Nangolo Mbumba led by example today as he was enumerated for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

This move sends a strong message about the significance of accurate data collection and the vital role of enumerators in the process. Mbumba welcomed the enumerators into his residence, showcasing the importance of this nationwide initiative.

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) census coordinator in the Zambezi Region has commended residents on their willingness to cooperate during the first phase of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

Obrien Sibuku said that the first part of the exercise, which included the enumeration of the special census, was a success with minimal challenges experienced. The special census, which took place at midnight on Sunday, September 24, included visits to hospitals, guest houses, border posts, and police holding cells.

The Namibian Statistics Agency says it is ready to conduct the Population and Housing Census.

NSA's Stastician General Alex Shimuafeni explains who will be counted during the Census Reference Night of the 24th.

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.

The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) and the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together in preparing accurate voter lists and ensuring that the logistics of conducting elections smoothly are in place.

The MOU will enable ECN to know how many eligible voters there are in each constituency from the NSA census data collection. The two institutions will work together to develop ICT systems such as e-recruitment and information dissemination and cooperate in the provision of transport for field work.

A group of young people at Katima Mulilo have joined the chorus of the dissatisfied with regards to the selection of enumerators for the Population and Housing Census.

Most of those who took to the streets are from the San community, who say the process was unfair as most minorities did not make the cut. Speaking to nbc News team, unsuccessful applicant Tina Kwala claimed most of the potential enumerators are already employed. She said her community mainly comprises parents who are unable to provide for their families and roam the streets for survival.

Youth in Tsumkwe maintain their protest over the census candidate list and demand answers.

In Tsumkwe, the youth community continued their demonstration this morning, expressing their dissatisfaction with the supplementary list of candidates for this year's National Population and Housing Census. The group's chairperson, Simson Kapembe, revealed that the list was meant to undergo verification involving the councillor's office and two youth representatives.