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Census 2011 – We need more connectivity

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For me the most distressing factoid in the recent Census 2011 numbers revolves around access to the internet.

Out of the 1 687 385 households in the Eastern Cape a total of 1 280 642 have NO access to the internet (75.89%). Music to the ears of our political masters I am sure as the risk of a social media revolution is severely diminished.

Reading through the numbers is a bit of an exercise in depression as the Western Cape, Gauteng and Kwazulu-Natal outstrip the Eastern Cape in all the good things. Of course the insistent use of classifying everything by colour is also a little bit depressing and divisive – who or what gave the Census taker the right to change my racial grouping from African to White – not even Other?

Census 2011 numbers for the Eastern Cape:

  • Land Area decreased from 169 954 square kilometres to 168 966 square kilometres (UMzimkhulu formerly in the Eastern Cape Province and Matatiele, formerly in KwaZulu-Natal were in effect exchanged, with UMzimkhulu now being in KwaZulu-Natal and Matatiele now being in Eastern Cape.)
  • Occupies 13.8% of South Africa
  • Has a population of 6 562 053: 3 472 353 female (52.9%) and 3 089 701 male
  • 5 660 230 ticked the Black African box, 541 850 the Coloured box, 27 929 the Indian or Asian box, 310 450 the White box and 21 595 ticked the Other box
  • Xhosa is the most widely spoken first language, followed by Afrikaans and then English
  • The highest number of East Cape born persons counted outside of the Eastern Cape were counted in the Western Cape at 105 214
  • The lowest percentage of the population in each province who were not born in the Eastern Cape were counted there – 1.2%
  • 588 802 persons aged 5-24 years were NOT attending an educational institution
  • 2 040 311 persons persons aged 5-24 years WERE attending an educational institution
  • 310 872 people in the Eastern Cape had a level of education higher than Grade 12 – at 8.7% this is below the SA average of 12.1%
  • 10.5% of persons aged 20 years and older have NO schooling – the SA average is 8.6%
  • 8.7% of the population aged 20 years and above have Post Grade 12 qualifications – the SA average is 12.1%
  • The official unemployment rate is 37.4%
  • Of the 1 687 385 Eastern Cape households – 880 683 are formal house or brick structures on a separate stand, yard or farm, 476 285 are traditional dwellings, 76 929 are flats, 6 071 are cluster homes in a complex, 11 947 are townhouses, 28 271 are semi detached, 54 447 are dwellings in a backyard, 34 404 are informal dwellings in a backyard, 95 983 are informal dwellings, 7 423 are a room or flat on a property, 1 759 are Caravans or tents and 13 179 are other.
  • 314 households in the Eastern Cape have 20 rooms or more (KZN leads the pack with 1 088 households – well done JZ, keep it up!)
  • 855 038 households are owned and fully paid off
  • 414 396 households consist of one person
  • 45 750 households consist of 10 or more persons
  • 553 346 households have piped water inside their homes
  • 38 845 households still use the bucket system for toilet facilities
  • 297 971 households have no or other toilet facilities
  • 200 664 households have a computer, 165 434 have a telephone landline and 1 381 206 have a cell phone
  • 1 280 642 Eastern Cape households out of a total of 1 687 385 have no access to the internet

The Eastern Cape’s HIGH and LOW numbers – take note sometimes having the highest or lowest number is NOT a good thing:

  • The ‘expanded’ unemployment rate is 51.2% and places the Eastern Cape in FIRST place – the highest number in South Africa
  • The Eastern Cape has the highest percentage of traditional housing – at 28.2%
  • 374 555 households have NO access to piped water – the highest number in South Africa
  • 77.8% of households have access to some form of piped water (communal tap, inside, in yard) – the lowest number in South Africa
  • 12.7% of the East Cape population have no toilet facility – the highest number in South Africa
  • 14 439 households use animal dung for cooking – the highest number in South Africa
  • 434 107 households use paraffin for cooking – the highest number in South Africa
  • 190 156 households have NO rubbish disposal – the highest number in South Africa

More Census Opinions: Census results wake-up call for Eastern Cape | Census 2011 – Key Indicators

 

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.