Counting the people of Mzansi and knowing how they live is all good and well, but it means little if it doesn’t make a difference in the lives of farmers and farmworkers.
As Statistics South Africa’s fieldworkers start hitting the road to tally all of Mzansi for the fourth time since the dawn of democracy, from organised agriculture to farm dwellers say they hope that government will use census data to make the right decisions.
The data produced in the next 26 days should paint a picture of the socio-economic circumstances of everyone in the country and will include demographics and information on migration, mortality, fertility, agricultural activities, food security, health, education levels, income and household goods and services.
Stats SA has urged farming communities to get behind the project.
Spokesperson Trevor Oosterwyk tells Food For Mzansi they had already engaged farmers’ unions and organised agriculture ahead of the population count. “We have spoken to a lot of stakeholders… so that we [are] able to do our work unhindered.
“We have dispersed many workers across the country. Especially in far-flung areas, including the farming community, we urge farmers to allow workers to participate in this important task of the nation.”
Agri SA executive director Christo van Rheede says the census is an extremely important exercise that will help improve the lives of ordinary South Africans, including farmers and those residing in rural and farming communities.
“Agri SA regards census as critical for planning, especially planning from government’s side, so we have met with Stats SA and we have a long-standing relationship with them.
“Our job is to make sure that Stats SA gets collaboration from farmers and farmworkers so that the stats that are gathered will be a true reflection of what is happening in rural areas. Our provincial managers have committed themselves to assist Stats SA, so from our side we are committed to helping them.”
Safety concerns
Many South Africans have raised safety concerns considering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and rural safety. Farmers are seemingly worried about their security and the safety of their family and workers as fieldworkers will need to enter farm gates and expose farmers to strangers gaining access to their properties.
Oosterwyk says they understand the challenges in the farming community but it remains important that the census counting be done. “We are also mindful of the Covid-19 pandemic which might lead to many people not feeling comfortable with letting people into their houses.”
Oosterwyk says that, although farmers have the right to refuse census fieldworkers entry to their farms, they should at least let workers meet with census workers off the farm.
“[It] will be illegal for [farmers] not to allow workers to participate,” he points out.
Will it improve how the farming community lives?
Meanwhile, a resident of the Platfontein farming community in the Northern Cape, Jim Callman, hopes that the census counting will yield positive results and a change in living conditions for people living on farms and in rural areas.
“Our gates will be open for them, but the information they are taking from us must be used to change the lives of people… in the farming community.
“We appreciate the effort taken to understand our living conditions and the challenges we face, but at the same time let that information help us as we are struggling.”
Callman further says they have seen little change and opportunity to improve their living conditions over the years. “We are still one of the undeveloped [groups] in the country. We need a serious change. Let this census [be] a true reflection of how people in the farming community really live and survive. We are in dire need of revival.”
What’s different about this count?
According to Stats SA, the Census 2022 project will showcase new technology as it leaps into a new era of digital data collection. Fieldworkers will be carrying tablets and no form of paperwork will be used.
While face-to-face interviews will continue, the country’s first digital census will also allow respondents to avoid in-person contact as census counts can now be done online or in telephonic interviews.
Members of the community who wish to make use of the online platform can register themselves here.
Furthermore, community members can identify registered census fieldworkers through their green regalia and identification tags.
Deputy minister in the presidency Thembi Siweya says South Africans, including the farming community, should rest assured that the information gathered will be kept by Stats SA and will not be shared to external entities.
She pleaded with people to be as transparent as possible to allow government to obtain the correct information on the ground. She spoke at the Census 2022 launch earlier this week.
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