Business Day dialogue covers Census 2011

Panellists

The panellists, chaired by Business Day editor, Peter Bruce, included:

• statistician-general Pali Lehohla
  
• Dr Miriam Altman, research Fellow at the Human Sciences Research Council and a member of the National Planning Commission in the Presidency
  
• Professor Charles Simkins, head of the School of Commerce, Philosophy and Applied Ethics, St Augustine College, Johannesburg
  
• Richard Pike, CEO of Adcorp, public speaker and lecturer
  
• Xolela Mangcu, a public intellectual, political commentator and author
  
• Itumeleng Mahabane, a partner at Brunswick and a Business Day columnist
  
• Ashleigh Theophanides, a director at Deloitte

"The latest dialogue is particularly relevant to all of us and not only because we all have to complete the census form. This important national survey gives government and the private sector an official - and hopefully accurate - snapshot of the population of South Africa," says Bruce.

He adds that the census carries with it enormous challenges, not least of which is that many people do not understand how it works, how the information they provide will be used and whether it will be confidential - or used punitively against them.

Access the transcript and video clips here or download the transcript PDF.