Grim new demographic details show that life for most South Africans is not getting better, and may well be getting worse.
With an estimated 4,7-million people unemployed and looking for work, and only 5,1-million in formal employment, it is hardly surprising that life remains tough for ordinary people in the democratic South Africa.
But it is the figure of 22 865 infant deaths in 1995 – the highest infant death figure since 1991, and probably the highest ever in South Africa’s history – that demonstrates the severity of poverty in the country.
The number of infant deaths recorded may be a reflection of more accurate official records, but the fact is the death of 22 865 babies is unacceptably high – and that an average of more than 62 babies died every day of the year in 1995.
These demographic statistics are contained in the latest issue of the Bulletin of Statistics, recently released by Statistics South Africa.
The report classified 9,1-million in various job categories, including 2,1- million working in private households, suggesting that about one in three potentially economically active people were unemployed and looking for work.
With fewer than 5,3-million people having paid jobs in 1997, formal sector employment has continued to decline, from more than 5,3-million in 1996 to 5,1-million in the fourth quarter of 1997.
A total of R2 217,3-million was paid in salaries and wages. The average salary paid in 1997 was R3 832 a year, an increase of R368 on the 1996 figure of R3 464.
Unemployment rates are particularly severe among Africans – 4,2-million looking for work – and particularly among young Africans: 1,9-million without jobs are under the age of 29, and there are 1,2- million people under the age of 24 looking for work.
The report is described by Statistics South Africa head Mark Orkin as an “excellent reference source” as it provides a bird’s eye view of a year’s, or even several years’, statistics.
It gives figures on many different aspects of life in South Africa, including that 140 753 people were injured in traffic collisions in 1997 and 9 691 people were killed. Vehicles collided with 39 815 pedestrians and 6 846 cyclists.
There were also more divorces than before – 31 592 in 1995 – more than half of them involving whites. But these figures did include 8 174 divorces involving black people – and black divorces were not recorded until 1994.
One of the more disturbing sets of figures are those concerning prosecutions and convictions in the courts. The number of prosecutions, for instance, dropped from 350 201 in 1995 to 291 774 in 1996. The number of convictions also dropped, from 260 887 to 218 394.
Police have claimed the crime rate has stabilised, but the decline in prosecutions and convictions indicates the justice system is not working efficiently – and that a significant number of criminals are getting away with their crimes.