The Census 2001 results proved that South Africa’s transformation was on track, the African National Congress (ANC) said on Tuesday.
”The progress made in this five-year period [since 1996] points to some of the key achievements of the first decade of freedom. It is a signal of the growing momentum and increasing pace of social and economic change in this country,” the ANC said in a statement.
A comparison between the 1996 and 2001 census results indicated significant progress in areas like education, housing, electrification, water and sanitation, it said.
However, the ANC admitted that unemployment remained a major challenge.
According to the results released by Statistics SA (Stats SA), 33,7% of economically active South Africans were employed in October 2001.
This was four percentage points lower than in 1996, but Stats SA deputy head Dr Ros Hirschowitz believed it was not useful to compare the two sets of results. This was because the questions asked about employment in the two surveys differed too much, she said.
The 39,9% employment figure supplied by the Labour Force Survey (LFS) — a sample survey of households asking more, and more probing, questions — of September 2001 was more reliable, Hirschowitz said.
Democratic Alliance finance spokesperson Raenette Taljaard said: ”South Africa’s labour market inflexibility continues to be an aggravating factor in hampering job creation.
”This is not an argument about rolling back worker rights. It is about being in touch with reality and making policy choices that reflect reality.”
To significantly reduce unemployment, the government had to show political courage, she said.
Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said unemployment was clearly a problem.
”Part of our challenge in this country is not only about creating high-end jobs. We need to have more expansion of the lower technology but high employment-effect kind of jobs.”
While Census 2001 indicated a population growth of about two percent per year, gross domestic product for the same period averaged 3,1% annually, Manual noted.
Per capita household income rose by seven percent in real terms over the period.
At issue, however, was how these incomes were distributed and how the quality of life of South Africans had improved, Manuel said.
The census results on population distribution were expected to influence the allocation of national government resources to the nine provinces and 284 municipalities. However, levels of development and similar issues had to be taken into account.
”A new formula will have to be designed,” the minister said.
He found improvements in areas like housing, water and education encouraging.
”Somewhat slow” progress had been made with sanitation, Manuel noted.
Western Cape Premier and New National Party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk said the country’s long-range plans should be adjusted to meet the growing demand for health, education, social services and infrastructure.
The results provided very necessary updates on population growth and development patterns, he said.
According to Stats SA Council chair Hilary Southall, an interval of 10 rather than five years between censuses might be adequate.
Spending on a census, estimated at about R1-billion, had to be justified like any other major government expenditure, she said.
”It is a question of whether the money spent could have been used better in another way,” she said.
Van Schalkwyk said the Western Cape was unlikely to support less regular censuses — especially in light of the rapid change in the province’s population growth.
Receiving the census results, President Thabo Mbeki said South Africa’s official statistical system needed further strengthening.
Particular attention should be paid to building a strong cadre of statisticians, he said.
The task of transforming Stats SA was an ongoing one, Mbeki said.
”Clearly, to meet still better the challenge of knowing ourselves as a nation requires further improvement in the infrastructure of Stats SA.” – Sapa