Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has assured disgruntled census staff in the Free State that they will be paid outstanding wages.
This follows a countrywide protest by affected staff employed on contract basis for the duration of Census 2022.
Of the personnel recruited by Stats SA, fieldworkers were at the forefront of the outcry over unpaid wages. They were demanding wages for February and March.
Risenga Maluleke, statistician-general, said all those affected, in all nine provinces, would be paid their outstanding monies.
Census 2022 has been extended to 14 April. Maluleke said this was to ensure every household and person was counted.
Maluleke addressed fieldworkers in Bloemfontein on 5 April during introspection of census progress at the informal settlement of Phomolong.
He has partly blamed fieldworkers’ neglect of supplying correct personal details for the hiccup.
“It would not be called census if it did not have challenges,” said Maluleke.
“The issue of payment of contracted personnel, including fieldworkers, has always been there. We found out that some of the fieldworkers did not supply their personal information to log on, while others did not have their data captured as they were working in remote areas.
“Thus, their supervisors could not supply correct information in time for payment to be processed.
“The payment issue has affected our work indeed. However, we are addressing payment issues and we will be addressing it even when census is complete.
“It is our responsibility to ensure everyone contracted for Census 2022 is paid.”
Maluleke said the fact that some personnel had resigned was not mainly due to the issue with payment.
“Some got employment, while others, as students, were unable to cope with the workload of university studies and census.
“Even those who resigned will be paid for work done.”
It is said that fieldworkers agreed to being paid R264 per day.
In the province, 7 814 personnel were recruited to conduct Census 2022, which started on 2 February.
These include field operations officers, fieldwork supervisors and fieldworkers.
- This is South Africa’s fourth census since 1994, with the first ever held in 1996, followed by one conducted in 2001. South Africa’s third census in 2011 found that the population had increased from 40,6 million in 1996 to 51,8 million.
The process involves both digital population counting and face-to-face meetings by fieldworkers who count the homeless, transients, those in special dwelling institutions (SDIs) and hotels, as well as populations in communal living structures.
It would not be called census if it did not have challenges. – Risenga Maluleke
