Lubango - The Metropolitan Archbishop of Lubango, Monsignor Gabriel Mbilingi, appealed on, Monday, in the capital, for citizens to join the General Population and Housing Census in masse, in order for the process to be successful, which is scheduled to begin on the 19th of this month throughout the country.
Speaking to ANGOP about the activity, the Catholic prelate considered the Census to be an act of citizenship, in which everyone must do their part for the good of Angola, because its results will help the government to better direct its policies, making its actions more assertive.
In order to realise this goal, the archbishop asked families to open the doors of their homes and welcome the census takers, providing all the information needed to compile the demographic and housing data.
He emphasised that ‘the Census is a valuable instrument of governance, because it allows the government to know how many of us there are, how we live and thus to draw up employability and academic training policies.
‘That's why I make a very strong appeal to all citizens not to close themselves off, because sometimes when we don't know how many citizens we have, it's difficult for those who govern us to know what is needed to respond to anxieties and, above all, to solve the problems that arise,’ he emphasised.
Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi condemned people who want to make it difficult to carry out this ‘important act’ and those who discourage others from not registering, as they assume responsibility for future difficulties that these people may face.
Under the slogan ‘Together we count for Angola’, the General Population and Housing Census/2024 will be the third in the country's history, the first having been carried out in 1970, five years before Independence, while the second took place in 2014. BP/MS/DAN/DOJ
