/ 11 March 2008

Statistics show improvement in service delivery

There has been substantial progress in basic service delivery in the country, Statistics South Africa said on Tuesday.

It released the municipal data of its 2007 Community Survey, which gives a breakdown of basic service delivery in each of the 283 municipalities in the country.

The 2007 figures, compared with the census figures of 2001, show that there has been progress, particularly in the provision of piped water and electricity to households. But while those living in formal housing have increased, there are still many living in informal dwellings.

Overall electricity usage has increased, with 80% of households now using electricity for lighting, 66,5% using it for cooking and 58,8% using it for heating.

In 2007, households with access to piped water within 200m from them increased to 74,4% from 72,1% in 2001.

The number of households living in formal housing increased to 70,6% from 68,5% in 2001.

The number of households who own their housing, whether fully paid or being paid, increased to 61,6%. Those who rent remained at 18%.

Statistics South Africa has uploaded the data on to its website, allowing anyone to find specific data on their municipalities.

It will also visit all municipalities between April and July to provide them with the data and comparisons for their municipalities. — Sapa