Two Limpopo villages are boycotting Census 2011 over the appointment of Statistics South Africa (Statssa) field workers.

The communities of Bawula and Mathura outside Giyani are not allowing field workers to count them, claiming that their appointment was a political move. Civic Organisation member Peter Mathebula said the two communities became annoyed after some workers replaced the original people who were hired first without being informed.

“The problem started when Statssa appointed field coordinator Nkhesani Novena, who is also an ANC member. Novena then hired his three sisters, relatives and only ANC members in the village,” said Mathebula.

He said that before the census started, the communities wrote a letter to the local Statistics SA offices in Giyani and Polokwane, and they kept promising that that they would deal with the problem. “If the government fails to resolve this issue, we are not going to be counted. Being South African does not mean all people should account to a single political party. How can this government overcome high rates of unemployment while people are still appointed because of political affiliation?” he said.

When approached for comment, Novena denied the allegation, saying that only a part of the community did not want to be counted. "The names of these who were hired appeared on the South African Statistic database, and that is the reason why we have taken them,” said Novena.