Census takers to appear on posters

Rugby player Francois Louw fills in a census form at the Springbok RWC squad and management meet at the Presidential Guest House. Photo: Lee Warren/ Gallo Images

Rugby player Francois Louw fills in a census form at the Springbok RWC squad and management meet at the Presidential Guest House. Photo: Lee Warren/ Gallo Images

Published Sep 14, 2011

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Statistics SA will distribute 2.8 million posters bearing pictures of census takers before the census count begins, Statistician-General Pali Lehohla said on Wednesday.

The posters would form part of the “Know your Enumerator” campaign before Census 2011 began on October 10, he told reporters in Pretoria.

The posters would appear on street poles in the same way as election posters. They would bear the face of the individual counting in the area, with his or her telephone number.

About 120 000 people would be counting the country's population and there would be about one poster for every eight households.

All census takers would be screened. Attempts had been made to ensure counters came from the communities where they would be active, but there had been difficulties obtaining them from closed areas such as golf estates.

He urged people to ensure they had counters from their areas, otherwise Stats SA would be obliged to obtain people from outside.

“I would be lying if I said it was smooth. It has been a rollercoaster, but we are ready,” Lehohla said.

He urged people to ensure they were counted and warned it was an offence not to be counted. People who had doubts about visitors not being official census takers, could call the toll-free number 0800-110-248 to make sure.

“The responsibility is on the household to ensure they contact the enumerator and ensure they are counted.”

The census, comprising 75 questions, would determine the number of people in South Africa on the night of October 9.

The results were expected in November next year. The exercise would cost R3 billion.

The last census was conducted in 2001. – Sapa

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