KwaZulu-Natal residents have been urged to open their homes to officials for Census 2022. Image: @STATSSA / Twitter
CENSUS 2022: It’s time for Mzansi to ‘stand and be counted’
KwaZulu-Natal residents have been called upon to stand and be counted as they open their homes to officials for Census 2022.
KwaZulu-Natal residents have been urged to open their homes to officials for Census 2022. Image: @STATSSA / Twitter
The KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council has urged residents across the province to prepare for the national census in 2022.
The council, led by Premier Sihle Zikalala, made the plea at the final sitting for the year on Wednesday 8 December.
The Provincial Executive Council said in a statement that it had received a report from Statistics South Africa that it will undertake a population and housing census, “Census 2022”, that will kick off on 2 February 2022.
“The Executive Council regards the upcoming census 2021, as a significant milestone since it will be the fourth population count since 1994. Significantly, the census has serious implications for the budget of our provincial government and, by extension, its ability to discharge public service delivery,” the provincial government said in a statement issued on Thursday.
“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,” the provincial government said.
Census 2022 is vital for provincial budget plans
The provincial government said in the statement that the province had lost a significant chunk of the national budget allocation after it emerged that population numbers had declined.
“This is something which in our view was an undercount due to poor participation by the citizens of the province. We therefore, call upon all citizens to get ready to be counted in order for resource allocations to meet the needs of the population of KwaZulu-Natal,” the government added.
“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. We welcome the job-creation element of the census and we encourage that youth and women be recruited for fieldwork activities that include data collection, clerical, administrative and other roles,” the provincial government said.
