Talking census

The Mail & Guardian, in association with Statistics South Africa is hosting a series of Business Breakfasts across the country—that will take the form of facilitated keynote addresses.

The Statistician General Pali Lehohla and John Perlman will be participating in the discussions which will be followed by an open session for the audience members to ask questions and share their opinions.

The census plays an essential role in public administration as the results are used to distribute and allocate government funds among various regions and districts for education and health services, delineating electoral districts at national and local levels, and measuring the impact of industrial development, to name a few.

It also provides the benchmark for all surveys conducted by the national statistical office. Without the sampling frame derived from the census, the national statistical system would face difficulties in providing reliable official statistics for use by government and the public.

It is important that South Africans are made aware of the importance of the census and are encouraged to participate. Through dialogues and community interactions this can be achieved.

The first breakfast will be held at the Westcliff on the 14th of June.