Census 2011 officially started last week with around 156 000 enumerators, co-ordinators and supervisors setting out across South Africa to count the country’s entire population before the end of the month.

At a briefing on Thursday Statistician-General Pali Lehohla said the third Census of the democratic South Africa got off to a good, if slow, start.  That is welcome news. The census is very important and all people in South Africa must participate. It is much more than a head-count. Think of it as a “medical check-up” for our nation.  It measures our collective health and well-being, and our rate of socio-economic progress.  

When citizens complete their questionnaires accurately they provide important information that is used by all three spheres of government in planning and decision-making for their community, their city, their province and the country as a whole.

Governments depend on census findings to determine which areas need services and new infrastructure such as schools, roads, waterworks, public transport, clinics, hospitals and housing.

The statistics also determine how national government funding is distributed to provinces and municipalities and also define electoral districts at a local and national level.

In other words, if citizens refuse to complete questionnaires then the municipality or province in which they live will receive less money, and services needed in their areas might not be delivered.

Unsurprisingly, during the first 48 hours of the Census, I was inundated with Twitter queries on census-related issues.

People wanted facts; others wanted reassurance; and a small number were downright paranoid. 

This article therefore addresses the top four questions raised by people this week, namely:

• Do I have to answer the race classification question?
• How can I verify that the person standing at my gate is registered with Stats SA as an enumerator?
• Will the information I give to the enumerator remain confidential/why do I have to fill in my name and address?
• Why is a pencil used to complete the questionnaire?

Race

Many people have complained about having to indicate their “race”.

Statistics SA have justified including this question on the grounds that population groups have different dynamics, for example different health profiles, fertility and mortality rates. The “race” question is therefore used for demographers and actuaries to undertake accurate population projections. They are also needed to diagnose social problems.   

Stats SA has assured me that this and other demographic questions are used for statistical purposes only. But undoubtedly the ANC government will use these statistics to apply their “representivity” policies. The proportion of population groups, in relation to each other, will undoubtedly be reflected in the government’s affirmative action plans.

Of course, no-one can be forced to give their race classification. I used the opportunity to have a laugh with my enumerator. When she asked me my “race” I borrowed her pencil and put it in my hair. It stuck (in my sculpted and sprayed style). My enumerator, who had a great sense of humour, asked me how we would do the “pencil test” on Leeuwenhof’s ghosts! And in the end, she filled in my “race” correctly. 

Crime

Another concern is the danger of criminals posing as enumerators.  These fears were heightened, to the point of paranoia a day after the census began, when two robbers, posing as census workers, robbed and shot at two men in Johannesburg.

There are precautions you can take when a person arrives at your gate claiming to be an enumerator.

First, you can identify an enumerator by checking if they are wearing a yellow bib with the Census and Stats SA logos, have a yellow satchel with the same logos, and are carrying census questionnaires, an A3-size book with a map of the area on the first page and most importantly an ID card that shows their photo and identification number that is also hologrammed to protect the cards from being counterfeited.

People can also phone the toll-free numbers 0800 110 248 or 080 236 7872 to verify if a person is a registered enumerator. Anyone who had a complaint about an enumerator can phone the same numbers.

The important point is that every person needs to take a normal common sense approach when determining whether the person at their gate is who they say they are before allowing them in.

Ironically, so far the only “census” crime reported in the Western Cape has been against enumerators by the people they were counting!
   
Personal details

Many Tweeters have also asked why their names and addresses are appended to the front page of the questionnaire and whether this information will be made available to other organisations.

First, the Statistics Act requires every Stats SA employee to sign an oath of confidentiality which means they are legally bound never to disclose the information provided to them. There are also harsh penalties if an employee contravenes this oath, namely a fine of up to R10 000 and/or imprisonment of up to six months. 

The Act also states that no unauthorised person or organisation including any other government department can have access to any information gathered during the Census.

Second, the names and addresses are only used during the quality assurance process and are then removed from the questionnaire and destroyed. Any information published when the Census results are made available can never be traced back to a specific individual or household.

Data integrity

Finally, many people are suspicious that a pencil is used for completing the questionnaires. They are worried that their responses will be changed by Statistics SA officials after they hand in their forms.

The reason why people are encouraged to use pencils is because it shows most clearly when the questionnaires are scanned. Also any error on a questionnaire means it is spoilt and a mistake can easily be rectified if a person is using pencil. There were several corrections required to my own form.

However, if people are still worried about their responses being altered they can use a black pen but must ensure they do not make any errors.

Now that the census is well underway, the Twitter frenzy has died down. I am encouraged to see a growing number of people tweeting that they had welcomed census workers into their homes, that completing their questionnaires was quick and simple, and that enumerators were friendly and professional.

Yet despite the obvious importance of participating in this process, the undercount rate (which is the number of people missed during a census) in both the previous two censuses was very high. In 1996, there was an undercount of 10% and in 2001 it increased to 17%. A Statistics SA document reveals that the average undercount globally and in other African countries is less than 5%. We have to up our game.

If you are planning to be away before the end of October, try to be counted before then. Just phone the toll free numbers to make arrangements.

If we want our country to work, we must take our responsibilities as seriously as our rights.  So get counted before 31 October. 

For more information please visit:

• http://www.statssa.gov.za/Census2011/faq.asp to read the answers to some other frequently asked questions,
• http://www.statssa.gov.za/Census2011/CensusQuestionnaire.asp if you want to download the Census questionnaire in any of the eleven official languages, and
• http://164.151.130.42:8088/kyfw/ if you want to find out who the enumerator in your area is.

Helen Zille is leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance party in South Africa

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