Cape Town - With just three days left until the extended census count comes to an end on April 30, Western Cape Premier Alan Winde is sounding the alarm on the low census count in the province.
This comes after Statistics South Africa mentioned that just over 55% of expected households in the province have completed the census questionnaire, while the average number counted in the country stands at 87%.
Stats SA Western Province's census chief director Patrick Kelly, said that the reason census counting is lagging behind the rest of the nation is because field staff confront a variety of challenges when attempting to get information.
“Aside from the Western Cape, Gauteng and KZN all other provinces have concluded census enumeration. The primary reason that the census counting is behind the rest of the country is that insufficient numbers of field staff were recruited in the province. This is especially so in the more middle class, affluent areas, and farming areas of the province. A further factor is that a higher proportion of households refused to be interviewed in the Western Cape compared to other provinces.
“Some of the challenges experienced by field workers include people not being at home, people refusing to answer questionnaires, difficulty in accessing gated communities/complexes/ apartment blocks, dangerous areas where crime is common, and getting information from areas where gang violence is common,” said Kelly.
He added that residents should remember that the information from the census will help with enabling planning at the community level for where schools, clinics, and houses should be built and where electricity, water, and sewerage infrastructure should be supplied, as census results determine the funding allocation to the province, municipalities, and communities.
In a statement, Premier Alan Winde mentioned that the province’s low census count is especially concerning because if it stays this way, the province will be perceived to have a lower population than it actually has, despite significant population growth, impacting budget allocations through the Provincial Equitable Share and other allocations and resources raised nationally.
“To put it simply, if we do not get an accurate census count for our province, we may have fewer resources available to deliver services in the future, which could impact each and every resident. This is a major risk, which we must avert,” Winde warned.
Urging the province to partake in the census count, Winde added that given the province is already facing a difficult economic climate, there is no room for another cent to get lost due to the low census count.
“I therefore urgently call on residents to play their part and get counted as soon as possible. If you have already been counted, please also ask your colleagues, friends, and family whether they have been counted and encourage or help them to do so if they haven’t yet. This is absolutely critical and something that we must all prioritise as we approach the deadline.
“The truth is that we are already not happy with our budget allocation from National and have often fought for more resources, given the population changes we have experienced over the last 10 years. This is our opportunity to finally accurately reflect on that change.
“We are already facing a difficult economic climate, many are struggling to put food on the table and as a Provincial Government, we are also facing budget constraints. We cannot afford to lose another cent through an inaccurate count.
“Instead, we must ensure that each person is counted. Let’s make it our personal mission over the next three days to ensure that nobody is left behind so that the Provincial Government can deliver its critical services,” said Winde.
Weekend Argus