23 January 2007

By Oupa Segalwe

Statistics South Africa is to conduct an ambitious new survey, second only to the population census, to help evaluate socio-economic policies and improve service delivery in the country.

Stats SA will conduct the R600-million "South African Community Survey 2007" from 7 to 28 February, and publish the survey's results in October.

"We invite all South Africans to share with us information about their lives as it allows government to improve service delivery," Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said at the launch of the project in Pretoria on Monday.

Manuel said the project would to fill the "information gap" that had resulted from moving the population census from a five-yearly to a 10-yearly cycle. South Africa has conducted a population census twice since becoming a democracy, in 1996 and in 2001.

Statistician General Pali Lehohla said that although the new survey was not of the same scale as the population census, it was "ten times the size of existing household surveys".

The new survey will collect demographic, geographic and socio-economic data at municipal level in order to assist the government and other progressive organisations with planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating policies.

The data will give an indication of how far the country has gone in eradicating poverty.

About 5 800 field-workers, who will wear yellow shirts and blue caps and carry their identification, will visit 284 000 households in 17 089 areas and help respondents answer up to 75 questions.

The questions will cover such topics as migration, mortality, employment status, level of income, education, participation in public works programmes and economic working patterns.

Source: BuaNews