Umm Muhammed Umar

According to the Stats SA Website, the next population and housing census, Census 2022, was planned to begin from February to March 2022. Fieldworkers were to count the homeless, the transient population, those in communal living quarters such as hotels, B&Bs, hospitals, correctional centres, old age homes and so on. A census is the total count of a population by which all people, including children, babies, homeless people and foreign nationals within the borders of a country, are counted. A census collects data about a country’s socio-economic dynamics, such as people’s living conditions, their access to basic services, their income, and so on.

Households can choose to complete the census questionnaire online or telephonically, if they do not wish to be interviewed by a fieldworker at their house. These households must register to do so by Friday, February 252022, on https://getcounted.statssa.gov.za

United Ulama Council of south Africa President, Maulana Abdul Khaliq Ali, speaking to Radio Islam, encouraged all South African Muslims to participate in the country’s census, saying it was a duty.  He said, “That is our duty, that we must be able to mark out our participation in the census.” He added, “South Africans, this time around is an opportunity…….to showcase our participation, but also to note, that as Muslims, we are a part of the citizens of our country, Alhamdulillah.”