Census And Statistics Act [Chapter 10:29]

Chapter 10:29

Census And Statistics Act

Act 1/2007

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

PART I PRELIMINARY

PART II
ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICSAGENCY

3. Establishment of Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency.
4. Functions of Agency.
5. Powers of Agency.
6. Reports of Agency.PART III
   ESTABLISHMENT AND CONSTITUTION OF THE ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCY BOARD
7. Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency Board.
8. Special responsibilities of Board.
9. Director-General.
10. Staff of Agency.
11. Minister may give Board directions on matters of policy.PART IV CENSUS AND STATISTICS
12. Census.
13. Statistical surveys.
14. Use of sampling methods.
15. Censuses and statistical surveys by other persons.
16. Power to obtain particulars.
17. Restrictions on disclosure of information.
18. Powers of entry.
19. Dissemination of statistical data.

SCHEDULES

Second Schedule: Provisions applicable to the Board.

AN ACT to provide for the establishment of the National Statistics Agency which will replace the Central Statistical Office; to provide for the collection and processing of statistics; to repeal the Census and Statistics Act [Chapter 10:05]; and to provide for matters incidental to or connected with the foregoing.

1 Short title and date of commencement

PART I PRELIMINARY

(1) This Act may be cited as the Census and Statistics Act [Chapter 10:29].

(2) This Act shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by the President by statutory instrument.

2 Interpretation

In this Act—
“Agency” means the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency established by section 3, whose acronym shall be

ZIMSTAT;
“authorised officer” or “officer” in relation to the Agency means— (a)

a member of staff of the Agency; or
(b) any other person appointed by the Director-General to work on behalf of the Agency in terms of

section 9(4)(c);
“Board” means the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency Board referred to in section 7; “census” means the census referred to in section 12;
“Director-General” means the Director-General of the Agency appointed in terms of section 9; “document” means—

1. (a)  a form, questionnaire, schedule, or notice whether in printed or photographic form; or
2. (b)  a documentary recording or transcribed computer printout or record capable of being produced as aprintout by a mechanical or electronic device; or
3. (c)  a medium or device by means of which information is recorded or stored;

“dwelling unit” means the kind of housing occupied by a household;
“establishment” means an enterprise or part of an enterprise that is situated in a single location and in which only

a single non-auxiliary productive activity is carried out or in which the principal productive activity accounts

for most of the value added;
“fixed date” means the date fixed in terms of section 1(2) as the date of commencement of this Act;
“financial year” means the period of twelve months ending on the 31st December;
“Government Ministry or institution” means any ministry of Government or other department of the national,

provincial or local administration of the State, and includes any individual functionary or department exercising public power or performing a public duty in terms of the Constitution or any other law, but does not include a court of law or a judicial officer;

“household” means a group of people who live together, eat together and share resources, or a single person who lives alone;

“member” means the chairperson or any other member of the Board referred to in section 7(2);
“Minister” means the Minister of Finance or any other Minister to whom the President may from time to time

assign the administration of this Act; “National Statistical System” means—

1. (a)  the group of all stakeholders involved in the production of official statistics, whether in their capacity as users or producers of statistics or statistical trainers and researchers or as bulk suppliers of data; and
2. (b)  the manner in which the stakeholders referred to in paragraph (a) relate to each other and the Agencyin the production of official statistics; and
3. (c)  the rules governing the designation of producers of official statistics;

“official statistics” means the results of— (a) a census;

2. (b)  a statistical survey conducted in terms of section 13;
3. (c)  such other statistical survey as the Director-General may designate by notice in the Gazette;

[Date of commencement :1st July, 2009.]

“respondent” means any individual or household in respect of whom or which, or any Government ministry or institution or establishment in respect of whose activities or affairs, any information is sought or provided for the purposes of a census or a statistical survey;

“repealed Act” means the Census and Statistics Act [Chapter 10:05]; “return” means a document completed by— (a)

a respondent; or

2. (b)  an authorised officer; or
3. (c)  any other person producing or providing official statistics;

“statistical survey” means—

1. (a)  a statistical survey in terms of section 13; or
2. (b)  an exercise whereby information is collected from all units in a field of inquiry or from a samplethereof, by the Agency, a Government Ministry or institution or other person, in terms of this Act or any other law, for the purpose of processing and summarising the results of the survey by appropriate statistical procedures and publishing such results in some statistical form;

“statistics” means aggregated numerical information relating to demographic, economic, financial, environmental, social or other matters, at national, provincial or local level, compiled and analysed according to appropriate statistical procedures.

PART II

ZIMBABWE NATIONAL STATISTICSAGENCY

3 Establishment of Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency

There is hereby established an agency, to be known as the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, which shall be a body corporate capable of suing and being sued in its own name and, subject to this Act, of performing all acts that bodies corporate may by law perform.
4 Functions of Agency

(1) Subject to this Act, the functions of the Agency shall be to—

1. (a)  conduct the national census or any other censuses and surveys in terms of sections 12 and 13; and.
2. (b)  co-ordinate and supervise the National Statistical System; and
3. (c)  advise the Government on all matters related to statistics; and
4. (d)  develop and promote the use of statistical standards and appropriate methodologies in the National StatisticalSystem; and
5. (e)  collect, compile, analyse, interpret, publish and disseminate statistical information alone or in co-operationwith other Government Ministries or institutions; and
6. (f)  develop and maintain a central business register in relation to establishments, containing such particulars asmay be prescribed; and
7. (g)  develop and maintain a comprehensive national statistics database; and
8. (h)  provide a focal point of contact with international agencies on statistical matters; and
9. (i)  perform any other function that may be conferred or imposed upon the Agency by this Act or any otherenactment.

(2) Except as otherwise provided for in this Act, the Agency shall not be subject to the direction or control of any

person or authority in the exercise of its functions under this Act.

5 Powers of Agency

For the better exercise of its functions the Agency shall have power to do or cause to be done, either by itself or through its agents, all or any things specified in the First Schedule, either absolutely or conditionally and either solely or jointly with others.
6 Reports of Agency

(1) In addition to any report that the Agency is required to submit to the Minister in terms of the Audit and Exchequer Act [Chapter 22:03], the Agency— (a) shall—

(i) submit to the Minister an annual report in regard to the operations and property of the Agency; and

(ii) any other report as the Minister may require; and
(b) may submit to the Minister such other report as the Agency may consider advisable.

(2) The Minister shall lay a report submitted to him or her by the Agency in terms of subsection (1 )(a)(i) before Parliament.