Durban - The KwaZulu-Natal executive council has urged residents to prepare for the national census that will begin in February 2022.
In a statement today, the council said it received a report from Statistics South Africa which stated that it will undertake a population and housing census, “Census 2022”, from February 2, 2022.
“The Executive Council regards the upcoming census 2022 as a significant milestone since it will be the fourth population count since 1994,” it said.
The council said the census had serious implications for the budget of the provincial government and, by extension, its ability to discharge public service delivery.
“The Executive Council, therefore, urges all KwaZulu-Natal citizens to prepare themselves and to be ready to stand up and be counted. This is critical so that our province can receive an adequate amount of resources and funds proportionate to its real population that lives and resides within the province,” said the statement.
The council said KZN lost a significant portion of the budget due to the previous census.
“As a province, we lost a significant chunk of the budget allocation after (the previous census) when it emerged that our population numbers had declined and this is something which in our view was an undercount due to poor participation by the citizens of the province,” said the council.
“The provincial government appeals to homeowners throughout the province to welcome census officials into their homes and provide them with accurate information, and for communities to ensure their safety,” it said.
The council also welcomed the job-creation element of the census.
“We encourage that youth and women be recruited for fieldwork activities that include data collection, clerical, administrative and other roles,” it said.
THE MERCURY