Stats SA is embarking on a MOP-UP phase as Census 2011 comes to a close on today.
“Operations on the ground indicate that there are households that we have not counted,” said Statistician-General Pali Lehohla at a media briefing in Pretoria today.
However, Lehohla was confident about the progress made to date during the national population and housing count. The 156 000 field staff visited 98.8% enumeration areas during the past 21 days.
The focus for the statistical agency now moves to the payment of fieldworkers, collection of all questionnaires, and reverse logistics that will kick start data processing. The payment will start from November 10.
"We sent out more than 20 million questionnaires, now we got to get them back so we can start data processing," said Lehohla.
As Stats SA embarks on mop-up, the statistical agency will escalate its enforcement against those who refuse to be counted.
To date, Lehohla said there were 16 000 refusals that had been registered during the population and housing census around the country.
As Stats SA embarks on data processing, Lehohla announced that an independent team will go onto the field to conduct Post Enumeration Survey, a quality check exercise that determine among other things the census coverage and measure the undercount.
“What we are certain about is that census 2011 will be able to give us Population trends, demographic trends, the level internal migration, the income levels of our country, and many other aspects like fertility and mortality,” said Lehohla.
“We would like to thank the SA public for embracing census and our fieldworkers - some really welcomed the fieldworkers and gave them tea and koeksisters,” said Deputy Director-General Kefiloe Masiteng. Census 2011 results will come out in November 2012.