SERVICE delivery continued to expand last year, with more people getting access to education, housing, water and refuse removal, but discontent over the quality of state and municipal services was also rising, an official survey showed yesterday.
In light of widespread protests about service delivery, it is significant that the ratio of households getting piped water from their municipalities climbed to 83,3% last year from 78,2% in 2004, according to the latest general household survey from Statistics SA.
But only 56% rated the quality of their water services as good, down from 76% in 2005, and 72% in 2007. The Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal had the highest ratio of households unhappy with water quality, with 19% of households in the Eastern Cape, 12% in Mpumalanga and 9% in KwaZulu-Natal believing their piped water was unsafe.
“Significant proportions” of households in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape also reported problems with state-subsidised housing.
Overall, 16,1% of those in state- subsidised housing said their walls were very weak, while 14,9% viewed their roofs as very weak. The most widespread problems were in the Western and Eastern Cape, with more than 30% of occupants reporting problems.
“As coverage becomes bigger, capacity becomes more stretched and quality may be impacted,” said Kefiloe Masiteng, deputy director- general of population and social statistics. In the case of housing, the problem may lie with the fact that emerging contractors were being used, who were not as good as more established contractors, she said.
The survey showed the biggest problem lay with refuse disposal, which was one of the few services that actually deteriorated.
“The use and possible availability of refuse removal services of local municipalities ... decreased significantly between 2007 and 2009,” falling to 53,1% from 62,1%. Access to and use of refuse removal services were lowest in Limpopo, where only 12,8% of the population had access to municipal removal.
On a positive note, the portion of households living in informal dwellings declined to 13,4% last year from 15,7% in 2005. The ratio of those connected to electricity climbed to 82,5% from 76,8% in 2002, the report showed.
In terms of education, an official summary of the survey was upbeat. It noted that the ratio of people over 20 who had degrees rose to 26,1% last year from 21,5% in 2002.
Those with tertiary qualifications edged up to 10,9% from 9,2%.
But Econometrix economist Azar Jammine said the data showed there were far more matriculants who did not get more education — or jobs. “It’s very grim. We are falling further behind the rest of the world, and Africa. I don’t think the authorities recognise this to be as urgent an issue as it is. Lack of skills lies at the heart of all our problems — unemployment, crime and lack of competitiveness.”
In light of widespread protests about service delivery, it is significant that the ratio of households getting piped water from their municipalities climbed to 83,3% last year from 78,2% in 2004, according to the latest general household survey from Statistics SA.
But only 56% rated the quality of their water services as good, down from 76% in 2005, and 72% in 2007. The Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal had the highest ratio of households unhappy with water quality, with 19% of households in the Eastern Cape, 12% in Mpumalanga and 9% in KwaZulu-Natal believing their piped water was unsafe.
“Significant proportions” of households in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape also reported problems with state-subsidised housing.
Overall, 16,1% of those in state- subsidised housing said their walls were very weak, while 14,9% viewed their roofs as very weak. The most widespread problems were in the Western and Eastern Cape, with more than 30% of occupants reporting problems.
“As coverage becomes bigger, capacity becomes more stretched and quality may be impacted,” said Kefiloe Masiteng, deputy director- general of population and social statistics. In the case of housing, the problem may lie with the fact that emerging contractors were being used, who were not as good as more established contractors, she said.
The survey showed the biggest problem lay with refuse disposal, which was one of the few services that actually deteriorated.
“The use and possible availability of refuse removal services of local municipalities ... decreased significantly between 2007 and 2009,” falling to 53,1% from 62,1%. Access to and use of refuse removal services were lowest in Limpopo, where only 12,8% of the population had access to municipal removal.
On a positive note, the portion of households living in informal dwellings declined to 13,4% last year from 15,7% in 2005. The ratio of those connected to electricity climbed to 82,5% from 76,8% in 2002, the report showed.
In terms of education, an official summary of the survey was upbeat. It noted that the ratio of people over 20 who had degrees rose to 26,1% last year from 21,5% in 2002.
Those with tertiary qualifications edged up to 10,9% from 9,2%.
But Econometrix economist Azar Jammine said the data showed there were far more matriculants who did not get more education — or jobs. “It’s very grim. We are falling further behind the rest of the world, and Africa. I don’t think the authorities recognise this to be as urgent an issue as it is. Lack of skills lies at the heart of all our problems — unemployment, crime and lack of competitiveness.”
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