The City of Cape Town says underreporting population statistics could result in misaligned budget allocations.
On Tuesday, it was revealed that only 55% of the Western Cape’s estimated population was surveyed for the national census.
That’s compared with the national average of about 87%.
With the Census now extended to Saturday the 30th of April, mayor, Geordin Hill-Lewis, says additional technical staff and management support has been provided.
But he’s encouraging those who can, to do it online.
“As the City of Cape Town, we have an important role to play in the census, and each Capetonian and their household must be accurately counted. I appeal to every Capetonian to ensure that they are counted. There is little time available to make the difference that we need to make”.
Meanwhile Premier Alan Winde, has cited similar concerns and is also sounding the alarm on the low census count – and what it could mean for resource allocation.
“I call on residents to play their part and get counted as soon as possible. If you have already been counted, please also ask your colleagues, friends and family whether they have been counted and encourage or help them to do so if they haven’t yet. This is absolutely critical and something that we must all prioritise as we approach the deadline”.
