Is South African census ready for challenges

By Emmanuel Pheta

Durban — Just days before South Africa's national census is set to begin, the government body in charge of this massive national exercise, Statistics South Africa, claims that all is well for the October 10 start, and is downplaying issues that have been identified by census workers.

Census 2011 is the third such survey to be done since the dawn of the new Democratic South Africa. The previous census was scheduled for 2006, but because Statistics South Africa did not have the capacity to conduct a successful census, this was rescheduled for 2011. A Community Survey took the place of the 2006 census instead, according to the government's website.

On the SABC public affairs programme, Asikhulume, Statistician-General Pali Lehohla failed to answer what contingency plans Census 2011 has to ensure the smooth running of this year's project and that history does not repeat itself.

Census workers in KwaZulu-Natal have related the problems they faced while preparing for the big day - during a session they called a "dress rehearsal".

"During Stats SA first publicity campaign in August this year we (fieldwork co-ordinators) were denied access at Kennedy Road informal settlement," said Nosipho Ndlovu, a fieldwork co-ordinator employed for the census. "People told us that they were not well informed about Census 2011, and another problem we encountered in our 'dress rehearsal' was that people in informal settlement put development as first priority."

Ndlovu said that people in communities of informal settlements - largely without services like water, electricity and well-built homes - want to hear about the development of their areas when government officials visit. "As a result, they are often disappointed that the census enumerators are not there to help further development, but simply to count their numbers," she said.

According to one of the fieldwork coordinators who refused to be named, citing fear of victimisation, hundreds of them were summoned to the district office in central Durban.
"We spoke to someone in the Human Resources department who told us there was a technical problem in Pretoria and we will not be paid until necessary arrangements have been made," said the fieldwork co-ordinator. "Our contract stipulates we receive a R7 000 stipend, however they have failed us."

The fieldwork co-ordinators hired and trained to conduct the census were supposed to be paid on the 30th of September but were not paid until early October, and this has caused some unrest among the workforce. They claim that Statistics South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal District failed to pay "hundreds" of its fieldwork co-ordinators in September because of what was described as a "technical problem". The government body has vowed that late payment of workers will not happen again.

KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Census Co-ordinator Bongani Radebe said that the problem was identified at the beginning of September and senior management had taken a decision to have an alternative system of payment for the fieldwork co-ordinators.

"KZN has employed about 775 fieldwork co-ordinators, others started late, while several did not submit the relevant documentation which resulted in late processing of appointments. The system (Persal) had to close for the month and therefore alternative ways to pay them had to be devised," Radebe said.

Radebe promised that all the fieldwork co-ordinators would be paid by the end of September and promised that late payment of workers would not happen again.

Another Durban fieldwork co-ordinator demanded that the government intervene, as he had a family to take care of. "I have bills to pay, and now we are told that we will not be getting paid. I do not even understand the 'technical problem' they were talking about, this must be sorted out," he said.

By Emmanuel Pheta and Thembelani Moyo

Durban — Nelson Mandela International Day ("Mandela Day") was launched in 2009 on Nelson Mandela's birthday, 18 July, and declared an international day by the United Nations in November 2009. Mandela Day was inspired by a call made by this world icon for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world's social injustices. Mandela turns 93 years of age on 18 July.

 

Every year on the birthday of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, South Africans are called to contribute 67 minutes of community service – a reference to the 67 years Mandela spent making the world a better place. The campaign is designed to honour Madiba's legacy of devotion and service to others by showing our commitment to making the world a better place as we harness collective energy to build our communities. It's a heartfelt call to action for South Africans to take the first small steps to follow in his footsteps.
With this day fast approaching, many organisations, companies, NGOs and individuals have come up with activities which they would like to do on this day to commemorate Mandela Day with a commitment to volunteer work. The idea is that a global movement for positive change begins with small actions, so each person who responds to this call should decide for themselves what they would like to do, and then do this community work as a tribute to Nelson Mandela.

As Mandela himself has stated, "it's in our hands" to create a better world and people can take inspiration from his example to take responsibility for ourselves and to action their responsibility to others.
Mandela Day will be celebrated in South Africa while petrol station tanks began to empty due to the ongoing strikes of workers affiliated to the Chemical, Energy, Paper, Printing, Wood, and Allied Workers Union (Ceppwawu). The strike started to have an impact on the motorists who were battling to find petrol, while the unions vowed not to end the strike until their demands are met for a wage increase.
The annual Ubuntu gala dinner will be held on the Mandela's birthday in Cape Town, as an ongoing celebration for the icon of Ubuntu, the African notion of giving to others. The event pays tribute to this international icon whose magnanimous spirit is an inspiration to the world.
Nelson Mandela loved sports and he took up boxing during his "struggle days". He also supported South African rugby, helping the country's Springbok team to win the World Cup in 2007, an event that was chronicled in the recent film, Invictus.
As for boxing, Mandela once admitted that although he had boxed, he had neither enough power to compensate for his lack of speed nor enough speed to make up for his lack of power. Always eminently quotable, this was his analysis of his lack of success in the ring: "I was never an outstanding boxer because I did not enjoy the violence of boxing so much as the science of it."
Nelson Mandela once said that sports had the power "to change the world to inspire the young ones and to unite people". The African continent seems to have taken Mandela at his word, as the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) Africa Senior Cup will be staged 18-19 July in the city of Rabat, immediately following the Hasan II Morocco Open, the twelfth ITTF Pro Tour tournament, as the world celebrates Mandela Day.
Politicians and public figures were keen to offer comments on Mandela's life and work.
"Politically a person who had done an incredible amount of reading in prison and understood South Africa, someone who was also overwhelmed by the notion that he could never break up South Africa, that we had to keep it together, whatever the cost," noted former Speaker of Parliament Dr Frene Ginwala. "Mandela also had a kind of Gandhian belief that if what you were doing what was right, the right thing would happen. "
Local politicians also vowed to do their 67 minutes of volunteer work and many contributed their views on Mandela's ability to inspire others. Zama Hlongwana, who works at Inanda parliamentary constituency in Durban recalled Mandela's visit to his area for the very first democratic elections after his release from 27 years in prison.
"I remember Mandela when he was in Inanda to cast his first ballot in 1994 at Ohlange High School," said Hlongwana, who noted that Mandela appreciated the fact that this school was established by Dr JL Dube, the founder of Mandela's party, then known as the African National Native Congress.
Mandela will forever be remembered for one of his most positive statements. "I am fundamentally an optimist," confessed the world icon. "Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair."