House Chair,
The ACDP appreciates the need for the collection of accurate data, the enumeration process by Stats South Africa, and at the same time we were concerned about the provision which allowed the data collectors access to homes.
House Chair, we know the high levels of crime in our society, across the board, and this in particular relating to home robberies and those who present themselves at your house.
Just this last week, ACDP leaders. whilst they were working in Khayelitsha, were robbed. A firearm was pointed at one of our leaders, and thankfully by divine intervention, the firearm did not discharge. It was aimed and the trigger pulled three times, but did not discharge. We thank God for his protection, and we pray for protection upon all of our citizens in South Africa.
At the same time, it is very important that we introduce safeguards to protect citizens at home. So, therefore, the ACDP welcomes the NCOP amendment that will require explicit consent for access to private property and also the possibility of a warrant.
We believe this will go a long way to protect vulnerable citizens in their homes, despite the fact that one might still have enumerator or or gangsters that are presenting themselves as enumerators, we believe this is a positive amendment, and the ACDP support the report.
I thank you.
