NATIONAL COUNCIL OF PROVINCES
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION 186
DATE OF PUBLICATION: Friday, 21 May 2010
INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 12 of 2010
Mrs R N Rasmeni (ANC-NW) to ask the Minister of Home Affairs:
(1) How far is her Department with the process of (a) upgrading and (b)
updating the population register as a tool that can be used for
planning purposes by the Government;
(2) whether the population register is up-to-date; if not, what is the
position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
3) whether this information can be used for planning purposes by the
Government; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
CW228E
REPLY
(1)(a) & (b) The Department of Home Affairs is making steady progress.
A full assessment of the National Population Register (NPR) has
been conducted to identify the areas for improvement. There is a
project to upgrade the NPR through a process called Data Quality
Management (DQM). DQMâs main objective, amongst others, is to
clean up current data set, in order to improve the quality,
thereof. The Department is, also, redesigning the Births,
Marriages and Deaths forms and functions, utilised to register
clients in the NPR. The information on the NPR can, thus, be
utilised for planning purposes by Government as the DQM will
ensure that the NPR contains quality data.
(2) No. The NPR is not up-to-date, yet, as there are, still,
undocumented children who are not registered on the system. The
same applies to those persons who died in deep rural areas where
informants cannot access the services in respect of death
registrations. The Department has introduced multiple channels
for clients to access its services through the utilisation of
Mobile Units, outreach programmes at schools and online birth
registration at Health facilities. There is, currently, a
National Population Register Campaign aimed at ensuring birth is
the only entry point into the NPR. The campaign will, also,
focus to ensure the elimination of Late Registration of Births,
and to encourage clients who are 16 years, and above, to apply
for Identity Documents.
(3) Yes. The information on the NPR can be used for planning purposes by
Government, as the DQM will ensure that the NPR contains quality
data. The information, or data on the NPR is, also, shared with
other Government Departments, such as the Departments of Health,
Education, Social Development and Stats SA.