Surplus People Project Survey 1980-1981
South Africa, 1980 - 1981
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zaf-spp-spps-1980-1981-v1
Surplus People Project Survey 1980-1981
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| South Africa | zaf |
Household Survey [hh]
Surplus People Project. Surplus People Project Survey 1980-1981 [dataset]. Version 1. Cape Town: Surplus People Project & DataFirst [producer], 2016. Cape Town: DataFirst [distributor], 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25828/v77x-fg49
The Surplus People Project (SPP) was established in 1979 in response to the programme of forced removals of South Africa's National Party government. The SPP undertook research on the programme and its implication for the lives of South Africans. Their research included a household survey carried out in 1980-1981 to collect data on the economic and social effects of removals on its victims. SPP researchers interviewed resettled households and households under threat of resettlement. The findings of these surveys were written up by the SPP in five reports. The Principal Investigators, Laurine Platzky and Cherryl Walker, published a book in 1985, Forced Removals in South Africa. With their permission, DataFirst has digitised the contents of the completed survey questionnaires, which were housed in the Special Collections department of the University of Cape Town library and The Campbell Collections Library at the University of Kwazulu-Natal. The digitsed, research-ready dataset is in the public domain, to allow further research using this valuable data. With permission, the reports and the 1985 book were also digitised and made available with the data.
Sample survey data
Households and individuals
Version
v1: Edited, anonymised data for public distribution
2016
Version 1 of the dataset was created between April and October 2016 from completed questionnaires from the survey, which were deposited by the principal investigators in the libraries of the University of Cape Town and the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Scope
The survey collected data on household members, including on age, sex, marital status, residential status, mortality, education, employment, income. The survey also collected data on pre-removals place of residence of households, including length of occupation, ownership type, and experience or threats of forced removals (including compensation received). Data was also collected on resettlement areas, including conditions on arrival and conditions at the time of the interview, dwelling and occupancy type, household attrition, subsistence agriculture and stock farming, daily meals, and social organisation in resettled communities.
Coverage
The survey covered household in the following areas:
Pampierstad, in the Taung Magisterial District in the Cape Province (now the Northern Cape Province)
Atlantis, in the Malmesbury Magisterial District in the Cape Province (now the Western Cape Province)
Onverwacht and Vaalkraal, in the Bloemfontein Magisterial District in the Orange Free State Province (now the Free State Province)
Bulinga (Weenen), Ezakheni, Mzimhlophe, Saxonsea, Tugela Estates, Vulamehlo, Phoenix and Sahlumbe in Natal (now Kwazulu-Natal)
The universe of the survey was households forcebly removed by Apartheid laws, and those under threat of such removals.
Producers and sponsors
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Laurine Platzky | Surplus People Project |
| Cherryl Walker | Surplus People Project |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| DataFirst | University of Cape Town | Creation of the digital dataset |
| Name |
|---|
| Mellon Foundation |
survey_instrument
The survey used two questionnaires: One for resettled households and another for households under threat of removal. Both questionnaires are provided with the data.
Data Collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 1980 | 1981 |
| Name |
|---|
| Surplus People Project |
The skip patterns in the questionnaires were followed inconsistently by enumerators and respondents, and some respondents completed questions not applicable if skip patterns were followed. The data recorded in spite of skip patterns in the questionnaires should therefore be used with caution.
Data processing
Original placenames have been aligned to current South African geography, where possible. A document explaining this process is provided with the data.
Data Access
| Name | Affiliation | URL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DataFirst | University of Cape Town | support.data1st.org | support@data1st.org |
Public use files, available to all
Surplus People Project. Surplus People Project Survey 1980-1981 [dataset]. Version 1. Cape Town: Surplus People Project & DataFirst [producer], 2016. Cape Town: DataFirst [distributor], 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.25828/v77x-fg49
Contacts
| Name | URL | |
|---|---|---|
| DataFirst helpdesk | support@data1st.org | support.data1st.org |
Metadata production
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| DataFirst | University of Cape Town | Metadata producer |
2020-05-03
Metadata version
Version 3