Statistics South Africa Budget Speech & responses by ANC, DA & IFP

Minister of Minister for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation & Chairperson of National Planning Commission,  Mr Jeff Radebe, gave his Budget Vote Speech on 20 April 2016.
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Honourable Chairperson;
Ministers and Deputy Ministers present; Honourable Members;
The Chair of the Statistics Council
Statistician-General
Other Stats SA Officials
Ladies and gentlemen
 
It is my single honour to present today the Budget Vote of Statistics South Africa, Vote 12.
The outpouring messages of condolences underline the shock and sadness at the loss of 11 African National Congress members who tragically died over the past weekend in a bus accident. Our thoughts and prayers are indeed with the bereaved and we wish the speedy recovery of those injured during the accident. We must re-iterate that the law must take its course to ensure safety on our roads.  Our hearts also pour out to the family of Professor Tim Dunne of the University of Cape Town, who tragically died from a car accident on Sunday evening.  We have lost a teacher of statistics and a Professor of life from whom we expected a lot more from his life. 
 
It is with great pleasure once more to table to the nation progress on the work we are doing through Statistics South Africa to ensure we have reliable data to project, formulate, implement and review public and private policy objectives. Without reliable data it would be inconceivable that government, the private sector and NGO’s could be able to speak of development in any area of human endeavour in concrete terms.
 
Amongst the main programmes driven through government and involving the entire nation is the National Development Plan. The NPC which was at the centre of its formulation, is in turn constituted by experts from various fields, and these are not fortune tellers but social scientists in various disciplines who rely on scientific data to project and review both the challenges and solutions that faces South Africa today and going into the future.
Legend has it that the Spartan Oracle of Apollo at Delphi was asked by a young man who wanted to respond to a military campaign.  The Orcale’s answer was “Go, return not die in war.” The statement has a double-meaning which is: go return not, and die in war, or: go and return, do not die in war.  So the facts the Oracle based on his advice accepted all outcomes. Naturally, this Oracle was unhelpful for the purpose of making the crucial decision about whether or not to go to war.
 
On the other hand in our memorable 2010 World Cup, we shall remember how Paul the Octopus, based its predictions on stimuli presented by its handlers. Ordinarily such an indepth analysis would require a large set of data including the age of the competing squads, history of individual performances, likely combinations of players in the games and match and mental fitness of players. It could be such large data that would enable anyone to can come to a reasonable prediction within confidence limits that Germany would win the World Cup. Whilst Octopus Paul made decisions tantamount to spinning a coin, our statistics work require continuous gathering of data and analysis.
 
It is in this regard that in our planning work we need people who should interrogate the sanity of the facts by ploughing through historical data, assessing the environment and through scenarios look at the most likely outcome.  Such a process demands mountains and oceans of data.  It is not an exercise in soothsaying of the Oracle, it is an exercise in understanding the facts and managing the margin of uncertainty as presented by the facts as in the case of Octopus Paul. 
 
Thus for the DPME to do its work well it needs reliable data and statistics. That is why the relocation of Statistics in the DPME was sound decision as this enable synchronisation between the broad spectrum of the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation mandate with the data that must inform decisions and conclusions made. Our NDP tells us our destination, it points to the cardinal point of where we must go and sheds light on the benefits of the destination, and tells us how we will look like when we get there.  But to get there we need a set of tools consisting of a compass, a vehicle with a speedometer, a rain gage and an altimeter amongst others, in order to gain intelligence from measurement about the route and environment we are traversing in our quest to get to the true North.  We need this array of statistics so that we can slash the bushes and clear our way to reach this destination. We give this elaborate explanation so as to highlight the significance of the work done by Statistics SA and the value for money we invest in this very important institution.
 
Statistics South Africa collects in excess of 235 releases per annum in order to inform our National Development Plan.  Amongst an array of data we have the Gross Domestic Product, which tells us on a quarterly and annual basis how our economy performs towards our NDP priority outcome of Growing the Economy.  An economy and society perform better when they enjoy a healthy and long life and as regards this outcome StatsSA annually releases Causes of Death Report which sheds light on why and how South Africans die.  To shed light on the outcome that “All people in South Africa are and feel safe”, Statistics South Africa releases on annual basis Crime Statistics which tells us about levels, patterns and geographic manifestation of crime.  The Outcome on Decent Employment through inclusive growth is informed by the quarterly labour force survey.  With this array of data we can be assured that we have the information that tells us about our terrain and how we are traversing through it to reach our true North. 
 
To implement the nine point plan, we rely on an integrated information system which StatsSA is now bringing out.  Rather than discuss growth in isolation of prices and employment, the value add in our toolkit is a set of statistical tools like the Social Accounting Matrix and the Growth Accounting Framework which shed more comprehensive flood light on the complexity of the path and what is hidden under the bushes we are clearing.  And indeed we begin to see that there are snakes, frogs, leopards and lions decorating our path towards the cardinal direction dictated to by our compass.  
 
Over the past budgets votes, we have indicated that the youth constitutes the majority of our population and that consequently our policies must be biased towards their development. In a manner much clearer than before, StatsSA monday released the Youth Profile Report which comprehensively told us a tale of who are our youth, where they live and how they live. The report is the first in a series giving a narrative on vulnerable groups, in this regard the youth of our country.  As we enter the 40th Anniversary of the Soweto Student Uprisings, we are reminded by StatsSA of the challenges our country faces
 
The report crystalizes for our benefit, the challenges the youth still face and are yet to face. These are unemployment, social and economic exclusion, disease, crime and difficulties in getting to higher education.  This happens despite the resources, effort and energy we put through our policy instruments.  Despite the progress that our hard won democracy ushered upon us, we still face deep rooted challenges as regards the youth and in particular the life of a Black and Coloured Youth.  The reminder frames for us the vexed question of “whither a demographic dividend for South Africa.” 
 
Thus data as presented by StatsSA helps to highlight the change of course necessary to arrest the challenges of youth development. The National Youth Policy 2020 and the Integrated Youth Development Strategy attempts to do precisely that by responding to policy issues in a concerted way that involves all government departments and all private sector institutions. Statistics tell us the NYDA can only be champion of youth development but capacity wise cannot be the panacea of all youth development.
It is through the flood light, the integrated statistics that we now understand the imponderables that we are facing and we will face as we unstoppably head to the true North.

Citizen engagement is crucial and tests the Outcome on an efficient and development-oriented public service. In this regard StatsSA working together with Kwa Zulu Natal Government undertook a citizen satisfaction survey in October and the results were delivered in January just a 100 days later.  These results of citizens’ views are a mirror to which the government of KZN holds itself.  It is a mirror by which citizens see themselves in relation to the government and thus the report is a trusted conduit through which mutual accountability and social compacts and contracts can be established.  The results of the survey are being used extensively by the government and citizens’ of KZN to discuss how service delivery can be addressed and improved.   This is central to implementation of IDPs in local municipalities. 

In short, this demonstrates how through joint work in government social compacts and contracts are implemented in reality and thus the Batho Pele Principles are advanced.  Secondly, the speed with which the results were released and discussions began amongst government and citizens illustrates that the KZN government listens and aims at addressing the identified issues. Thirdly, we have learnt from experience of this survey and I have already taken steps to have it replicated across the country, so that we do not encounter information asymmetries in a unitary state.
The NGOs and the private sector are well served by StatsSA as they bring to bear information services that help us to march to the true North. Statistics is a public good and as such reduces the cost of doing business.  Markets wait with abated breaths for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) which was released at 11:30 this morning.  We know that this price measure is a trusted indicator in the country and globally.  The CPI dropped to 6.3% in March from 7% in February 2016.  The private sector, government and labour watch this number in a hawkeyed way because it is the conduit of trust in the difficult world of salary and wage negotiations.  The Reserve Bank uses this to review the repo rate.  This is the arsenal of tools that StatsSA has in its toolkit to inform our planning, monitoring and evaluation as we traverse to our true north.  We need this data and we should use it. 
 
The statistics approach to development is embraced universally, hence Statistics South Africa continues to collaborate and exchange best practices with similar bodies continentally and throughout the world. Some of you will recall that the theme of the last World Economic Forum convened in Davos had as its prime focus the Fourth Industrial Revolution, of which the role of information technology plays pivotal role.
 
Honourable members
I am pleased to report that Statistics South Africa delivered the mapping of SDG indicators on our National Development Plan Indicators and has aligned the SDG’s Africa Agenda 2063 and the NDP indicators thus creating an enabling platform for seamlessly implementing our development agenda. 
If we are to ensure success of the National Development Plan programmes, the National Youth Policy 2020, the Integrated Development Plans at local municipalities, the 9 Point Plan and our all our policy and programmatic responses to the trio challenges of inequality, unemployment and poverty, we must have reliable data to inform such broad policy interventions.
 
From time to time, as government we adopt various policy and programme instruments to attend to the challenges we face in business, government departments, labour, NGO’s and civil society at large. Statistics tell us whether or not these are appropriate tools to resolve the given challenges. Thus this budget vote is about the validation of the policy and programmes we have adopted and recommendations for the change of course where results dispute the appropriateness of the interventions we may have chosen. In doing all this, we are guided by the broad trajectory of our historic mission crystallised in the Constitution, the soul of our nation, of which we celebrate its 20th anniversary this year.
 
I am pleased to announce that in the last ten months Statistics South Africa delivered the Growth Accounting Framework (GAF), the Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) and Zipf as enablers should make our planning cohesive through high quality data.   Over the next two to three years these tools will unfold into fully-fledged hard-data-based instruments which will undergird the planning process. 
Honourable chairperson
The harvesting of data from administrative records is one part of building the South African National Statistics System. The South African National Statistics must enable the building of a collective and time bound plan for the production of official statistics by all relevant organs of state. These developments have the effect of increasing demand for requisite skills with the concomitant pressure in providing these skills.
 
In twenty days from today, StatsSA will again be out in field for the next five months conducting a Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).  By StatsSA taking over the activity, we bring closure to a survey that was vexed by controversy as this was at times run by private consultants.
 
On the 22nd of April a record 155 countries will sign climate agreement which brings to centre stage natural capital accounting in addition to labour and capital in our statistical production system.  The Paris Agreement has therefore been necessarily accompanied by work of statisticians called the system of economic and environmental accounts (SEEA). StatsSA will be on the forefront of this.  
 
Emerging out of the repatriation of the Expenditure side of the GDP from the South African Reserve Bank to Statistics South Africa, the next big task is to tackle trade statistics as a natural progression. In this regard preliminary and discussions have started amongst the Statistician-General, the SARS Commissioner and the Governor of the Reserve Bank. 
 
What then is the required financial resource portfolio for StatsSA to fire up its delivery thirst?
 
Stats SA’s budget for 2016/17 is R2.5 billion.
 
Included in the aforementioned 2016/17 budget under programme 7 is an amount of R381.5 million earmarked for conducting of the Community Survey and an amount of R181.4 million earmarked for buildings and other fixed structures under programme 1 for the unitary payment for the new building acquired in terms of the Private Public Partnership agreement.
 
In the 2015/16 financial year Statistics South Africa spent 97.8% of its allocated budget of R2.3 billion. Stats SA will request a roll-over of R49 million not spent and this will be towards the completion of construction of the new building scheduled for opening in 41 days from today.
 
The Income and Expenditure Survey is used to rebase and reweight the Consumer Price Index and provides information on poverty and equality.
The Continuous Population Survey provides service delivery information at municipal level, more frequently between censuses.
 
Honourable Members
 
The question of trust is an important one. The statistical system needs people who are scientifically proficient to produce the kind of knowledge that can illuminate the dark path of practice, be that in policy or in politics and society. Stats SA has helped us realize that statistics is a conduit of trust.  It is the kind of trust which gives society confidence that democracy can go from strength to strength and in that respect enable us to take qualitatively better decisions and answer the crucial question of “whither a demographic dividend in South Africa.” Thus if the work of government to transform society through better quality of life as the tree and branches, then statistics are the roots in the consolidation of our constitutional democracy.
 
We thus urge this honourable house to approve the 2016/17 budget for Vote 12 Statistics South Africa because StatsSA delivers and has demonstrated a proven record of delivery.
Allow me to thank Mr Pali Lehohla, the Statistician General and the Statistics Council chaired by Mr Ben Mphahlele and their staff. Allow me also to thank the Portfolio Committee under the leadership of Hon. Peace Mabe for their continued guidance and support.
Finally let me thank my family and in particular Bridget and the children for their support.
 
Thank you very much.

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SPEECH BY THE DEPUTY MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY, HONOURABLE BUTI MANAMELA, FOR THE STATS SA BUDGET VOTE 2016/17 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, PARLIAMENT, CAPE TOWN, 20 APRIL 2016

Speaker
Minister in The Presidency
Ministers and Deputy Ministers
The Chair of the Statistics Council
Statistician General
Honourable Members

The story of the meaning of official statistics in South Africa begins with the incarceration of Nelson Mandela in Robben Island. When the distinguished Nelson Mandela went to prison, he was allocated a number 46664. This number would be used to eradicate any identity that he ever had.  The whole world was forced to identify with him through the number.

The dawn of democracy ushered us with the responsibility of building all institutions, and Stats SA was no exception. This agency had to be built brick by brick to ensure that never again, I repeat, never again, should numbers be used with such an inhumane force on anyone, citizen or otherwise. Stats SA has thus embarked on the course of giving meaning to life through numbers.

South Africa remains one of the few countries that have continued to have the dual-institutional estimation of the GDP by the national statistics agency and the central bank. Stats SA and the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) have, since 1946/7, shared responsibility for the compilation of the national accounts. Stats SA has always been responsible for compiling the production and income approaches to the calculation of the national accounts, while the SARB compiles the expenditure side of the national accounts as well as income and savings and the balance of payments.

The two institutions have undertaken to review the compilation of South Africa’s national accounts, so as to streamline their input to policy formulation and implementation. These functions will be performed by Stats SA as of 2016, thus, placing the country to preside over one of the most delicate transitions of economic activity measurement in history.

Statistics South Africa now ranks among the top national statistics agencies in the world. One needs to look back to understand how we have built such a strong organization. During the apartheid years, numbers were used to divide us along racial lines. Numbers were used to trump methods. For Black people, what would be decided first was the outcome, then the methods would be devised to suit the numbers. Whereas, for White people, unquestionable methods of statistical practice were followed. The numbers had to fit the policy apparatus that were at play, all the time.

The national statistics office of the time would thus not be considered among the agencies that count. It had relegated itself to a poor status of ill repute.  

The present era Stats SA’s international work builds from the conclusion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, thus taking forwards the post-2015 Development Agenda by way of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Stats SA continues to promote the use of data coming out of the International Comparisons Program (ICP). The ICP collects comparative price data and compile detailed expenditure values of countries’ gross domestic products (GDP) and estimates purchasing power parities (PPPs) of the world’s economies. Using PPPs instead of market exchange rates to convert currencies makes it possible and easier to compare the output of economies and the welfare of their inhabitants in real terms.

Thus, the ICP enables PPP-based international comparisons of macro-economic aggregates such as income and output (GDP), productivity and standards of living, which take into account relative price levels between economies.

The SDGs, together with the ICP, provide a backbone for Africa’s Agenda 2063 as well as for Africa’s Industrialization Strategy.

Stats SA, as chair and secretariat of the Africa Symposium on Statistical Development (ASSD), has been tasked with the harmonization of the SDG indicators in support of Africa’s Agenda 2063. Other activities under the ASSD program are the 2020 Round of Population and Housing Censuses (RPHC) as well as Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS). With Stats SA at the helm of statistical development in Africa, our continent was able to have 50 nations undertaking their censuses in 2010 round. The 2020 round, which started in 2015 and will conclude in 2024, will see the advent of technology in data collection.

Data revolution, in the form of computer assisted personal interviews (CAPI) using of smartphones and tablets to collect data, has just begun. CAPI has proved cut down the cost and time of data collection to the production of results.  Stats SA has already deployed CAPI in KwaZulu-Natal to conduct the Citizen Satisfaction Survey (CSS). The results of the KZN CSS were delivered in two months.

Currently, Stats SA in the final push with data collection for the Community Survey (CS) 2016. The national statistics agencies of South Africa, Brazil, Cape Verde and Senegal have been identified by the trailblazers of computer assisted data collection. This places Stats SA in a position of bigger responsibility, a responsibility for which our country cannot allow Stats SA to abdicate on.

Two days ago Stats SA launched a report on the status of youth in our country. Stats SA has used statistical methods to go and prove what we already know.

The benefit of having an agency such as Stats SA coming up with such a detailed report on the challenges that face the youth is the deployment of uncontested methods in the field that the agency has so honed their skills and expertise.

Stats SA tells us that the percentage of young people aged 15–34 years in South Africa grew from 18.5 million to 19.6 million as of the period between 2009 and 2014. While all South African provinces experienced positive growth for both the general and youth population, the population of young people in Gauteng, North West and Western Cape recorded relatively a slower growth. This contributed to a percentage growth observed of 6.0% among the youth as compared to 6.9% among the adults. This is a serious challenge when one compares this growth with the decline of total fertility among women of child-bearing age.

Young people in South Africa do migrate from their province of birth in search of greener pastures. We are informed that Eastern Cape and Limpopo lost larger proportions of their youth compared to Gauteng, Western Cape, North West and Mpumalanga provinces which had the highest in-migration rates compared to other provinces. This phenomenon contributed to an increase in youth-headed households in urban areas while the rural areas recorded a decline. But male household heads among young people are still prevalent.  These migration patterns have led to the majority of youth living in urban areas.  The ability of youth to integrate and flourish in an urban environment is increasingly important.  The Integrated Urban Development Framework (IUDF) led by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is one such programme that aims to create urban spaces that are inclusive, resilient and liveable.

Of particular concern in the report are issues relating to employment, crime, health and poverty.

In terms of the participation of youth in the labour market, the high rates of youth unemployment and its challenges, which are largely structural by nature, having followed us from the deep burrows of our apartheid history. Efforts to tackle the scourge of youth unemployment therefore have to address structural factors relating to education and skills development. And skills among African youth aged 24-35 are on the decline.  In a nutshell, the report tells us that Black African and Coloured youth bear the brunt of the legacy of apartheid.

In conclusion, the numbers are pointing us to where our policies are making progress, and where we are lacking. What remains is for us, as we continue with our responsibility of providing a better life for all, is to allow these numbers not to be abstract. They must continue to give meaning to life.

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Responses

 

Stats SA essential to move SA forward! By Erik Marais (DA) Shadow Deputy Minister in the Presidency
 

Honourable Chairperson and Members

According to the Statistics Act, the purpose of the official statistics is to assist organs of State, Businesses, other organisations and the public, in planning, decision-making and monitoring of assessment of policies. Firstly, as the National Statistical Authority to inform stakeholders on the economy and society. Secondly, to promote coordination among producers of official and other statistics in order to advance quality, compatibility and optimum use of official statistics and to avoid duplication.

Statistics South Africa must be the centre of information to enable the government to plan ahead of what is needed when and where, what needs to change and how to plan for the future.

Statistics South Africa plays a central role in the implementation of the National Development Plan (NDP) by Government. Therefore, the proper functioning of the Statistics South Africa is of crucial importance for South Africa is future.

The National Development Plan must be a driver of change.

Meeting objectives of the NDP requires leadership to drive implementation. It will require a change in the structure of the economy and the pace it grows.

Transforming the economy and creating sustainable expansion for job creation, means that the rate of economic growth needs to succeed 5% a year on average. It is clear our growth is stuck at less than 2%.

The biggest challenge our country faces is not better statistical reporting, but Government’s lack of will to actually implement the NDP in its entirety in full force. Statistics South Africa can only deliver the method and indicators to inform that progress is inadequate.

Statistics South Africa does show the following:

• That Unemployment is now the major driver of poverty in the country.
• That for all population groups, job creation is the main priority.
• That the ANC Government is failing the Youth 2 out of every 3 unemployed South Africans are Youth
• That since 2009 when Jacob Zuma became President unemployment has remained and increased above 20%

The Government should offer a better tax incentive to employers to reduce the initial cost of hiring young labour market entrants.

Chairperson,

Statistics South Africa play a major role in collecting stats to empower decision makers on their planning for infrastructure.

The demand for various services and products increase as the population of South Africa increase and imports of products based on demand.

There is a high demand to increase rail, water and energy infrastructure.

There must be enough water available for Agriculture and Industry, building of new dams and recognising the trade-offs in the use of water.

The number of people who will use public transport will expand significantly.

The size of the Metros will increase and urban planning based on stats is essential.

Investors always ask you about the availability and sustainability of

1)  Water

2)  Electricity

3)  Broadband

before they make an informed decision where to invest.

Are we ready to meet demands to unlock opportunities for our people to stimulate job creation?

The Democratic Alliance is focused to build new and upgrade existing infrastructure in municipalities we control to make it attractive for investors.

On a lighter note Chairperson, Congratulations to the Western Cape who managed to break through the 3 million barrier of registered voters after the last registration weekend.

The Western Cape grew with 118 973 voters on the Voters’ Roll. The challenge is on for the upcoming local governments elections on 03 August 2016.

Voorsitter,

Graag verwys ek na vanoggend se koerantberig oor Kaapstad as ‘n al gewilder toerisme bestemming, in Die Burger. Kaapstad lugawe gaan oor die volgende 10 jaar teen R 11,5 miljard opgegradeer word om uiteindelik 40 miljoen passasiers per jaar te kan hanteer teenoor die huidige syfer van 8,5 miljoen.

Nuwe aanloopbane, meer vliegtuigparkeerplekke asook die vergroting van die lughawe gebou is noodsaaklik.

Die Moederstad het tans die beste Internasionale lughawe in Afrika.

Hierdie investering in infrastruktuur is noodsaaklik, gebaseer op Stats SA en ander bronne van inligting as toekomstige vraag na vervoer aan te spreek om Kaapstad te besoek.

Ek nooi graag lede van die Parlement van die ander Provinsies uit om hier te belê! U belegging sal groei en u sal dit geniet om in n DA beheerde provinsie te woon.

Chairperson,

It should not be underestimated how the Presidency, in having Stats SA under its control, can contribute to solving various issues.

For example: It is shocking to discover the bear minimum data available to inform the continuous unfortunate death toll caused by road accidents.

Collecting and generating of data on the road accidents simply does not happen. In the latest 2014/2015 SA Survey issue under Police Crime Page 731 it confirms the last report/data to be that of March 2011. I want to recommend immediate priority on this subject.

Chairperson,

The Democratic Alliance supports the National Development Plan and therefore the budget for Stats SA is essential.

Our policy direction should be clear.

The NDP must be implemented to address Economic Infrastructure, to boost economic growth and to address unemployment.

There MUST be greater synergy between the NDP, Stats SA, Strategic Plans and the allocation of budgets to departments, for South Africa to move forward.

 

Stats SA moving closer to Presidency spells danger by Sejamothopo Motau (DA) Shadow Minister for the Presidency

Honourable Chairperson,

Stats SA has worked very hard over many years to earn local and international respect and recognition as a reputable institution.

South Africa is proud of this reputation and it must be jealously guarded by all of us.

It is in this context that the DA is somewhat apprehensive that Stats SA has been moved from the executive authority of the Minister of Finance to that of the Minister of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation.

This ministry is very close to The Presidency. The integrity and independence of Stats SA should never be compromised by this proximity.

The reported manipulation of financial information by the President of Brazil, Dilma Rousseff, to make the government there look good cannot be ignored and should be a warning to us. She is likely to be impeached for her breach of national trust.

It is critically important for all of us to remember that Stats SA must always be free from any political interference in the production and dissemination of official statistics.  The credibility of the data it produces and propagates, demands such unaffected institutional independence.

Having said that, being so-to-speak in the same tent, the DPME’s monitoring and evaluation programme, the National Planning Commission and Stats SA should be able to exploit their closeness to maximise synergies for top quality data.

They should, however, avoid costly overlaps and duplication of services and projects.

Their collaboration, where appropriate and necessary, should assist organs of state, business, other organisations and the public reliable, quality information for planning, decision-making and the monitoring or assessment of policies.

There can be no doubt that accurate, credible data enhances precise planning and costing – and reduces wastage of resources.

The budget for Stats SA in the 2016/17 financial year is about R2.5 billion, a sizable increase from last year’s budget of R2.26 billion.

Stats SA has identified the improvement of productivity and service delivery in the country as one of its strategic priorities.

This is critical.

In this regard, the department has allocated R407.9 million to implement a census and community survey during the current financial year. The total budget allocation for the Survey Operations programme is R533.3 million.

The department expects to employ more than 10 450 field workers for the community survey. Consequently, spending on compensation of employees will account for 61.4 percent in the medium term.

We would like to urge the department to ensure that there is even-handedness during the employment of the field workers for the survey. This must cut across political party lines and apply to all regions fairly and equitably.

Millions of young people in this country deserve a hand up into the job market. This could be a great opportunity for many of them.

We have noted that Stats SA received an unqualified audit report for the previous financial year and we trust that this trend can be continued and improve to a clean audit.

To achieve this, the department needs to take serious action to improve internal financial and other controls.

The department, with a budget of just over R2,2 billion in the past financial year, incurred more than R4 million of fruitless and wasteful expenditure and R416 000 in irregular expenditure during the previous financial year.

The irregular expenditure was due to non-compliance with the supply chain management process.

This is very disappointing given the critical role that this department plays in the country’s economy.

We note that following our calls for appropriate action regarding these failures, the department has dismissed 8 officials for misconduct while 103 have resigned or transferred to other departments.

Furthermore, 5 employees were suspended without pay and 14 were given final written warnings.

We trust that the cases of the suspended employees will be finalised fairly, with deliberate speed.

With regard to the transferred employees, we trust that this was not done merely to kick for touch and lump some other manager with an unresolved problem. Human resource management problems should be solved where they occur.

However, it is encouraging to see that the department is serious about consequence management and that where culpability was established fairly and within due process, appropriate remedial action was taken.

Speech by Hon Mina Lesoma (ANC) on Budget Vote Debate: StatsSA Budget Vote 12

20 April 2016

Fellow South Africans
Hon House Chair
Hon Minsters and Deputy Minister
Hon.Chair of the Portfolio Committee and Members
Invited Guests
Dumelang , Molweni
Advancing People`s Power- Local government is in your hands

"Siqhubezela Phambili Amandla Abantu -Uhulumeni Wasekhaya Usezandleni Zakho"

The constitution of the Republic calls for improved quality of life for all citizens and the building of United democratic South Africa.

Through the implementation of :

Statistical geography
Strengthening coordination mechanisms and compliance
Addressing data revolution (revolutionization of data)
Creating a state wide statistical service (as per PC recommendation)
Institutional arrangements and protocols
Sound Data Represent a Key Weapon in the Battle Against Poverty.

Stats do not lie fellow South Africans

ANC government has this in mind :

To fundamentally changed the political land scape outlook by establishing a democratic system of spheres of government that seeks to unite its people and build better communities.
Niti iyahlaba bahayesu - (Truth hurts)

ANC doesn`t mind to be critical on its government as it believe in continuous quality improvement. The number of people with access to clean water, electricity, housing in the last 21 years have gone up. Statistics bears testimony to this and none can contest this fact. Stats SA is a credible institution, and it`s data is reliable.
During Our Local Government Manifesto Launch , His Excellency The President reminded all of us what this government have achieved thus far , not withstanding economical social challenges .

South Africa has been classified as Developed Economy by some web-sites notwith standing poverty and economy challenges the global village is experiencing.
Questioning the existence of the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is bizaar . We lead and manage by facts based on data collected by StatsSA.

The ANC Manifesto launch on Saturday bears testimony to this:

2001-2014 = 14% electricity beneficiaries increase, informed by ANC indigent policy.
Increase of 29% of access to clean
4 million more people are enjoying access to free basic water
17% increase to basic sanitation services between 2002-2014
9% increase of people enjoying refuse removal between 2001-2014
10% of young people and women absorbed by Expanded Public Works Programme
Fellow South Africans don`t make a mistake that you may regret, Please Vote ANC #2016Local Government Elections-Iyaquba

Riyasebesta Aribapali Itlo liwena Useke wasella murawu

Abanye basakhuluma ngamagama abantu thina sizosebenza mje-kuphela.

Fellow South Africans

Our Manifesto , Our Budget Vote 12 of Statistics South Africa we presented factual stats before you today with accounts of what you can see and touch, plans that work for transformation in rural areas , towns , cities and villages,

Correct right information gives you the power to make the right informed decision : Votela Ukhongolose

ANC has delivered bakwethu! Misalignment of transport planning need to get to a stage where we do development according to imperialistic research and statistical informed information, Has to be backed by stats

Development informed by people not by projects , Nqo exactly what Stats SA does fellow South Africans

Every political party would love to see rapid development every where. Thus clear measure of neighboring impact of our neighbors would assist in educating our people about what level of. Development in other countries. They will be no xenophobia , lesser wars , lesser fights for services. South Africa is not an Ireland , regional integration must come to fore.

Stats should inform as to how many people from those neighboring African states , so that we may appreciate more as to why our country is investing in rail and road infrastructure.

Our own industrialists may use the same data to venture to development of those countries, more we know the better for South Africa movement of choice.

South Africa must have Stats SA and has articulate stats that is not shy to indicate areas we are good at, such as aviation we are among the top five in the world , I mean whole world bakwethu.

India known for rise in agriculture.

What are we good at in that space.

May be we need to discourage new things all the time , just to concentrate in perfecting what we are good at and advance.

Fellow Hon Colleagues , Stats is essential for a country. Different policies of government are based or should be based on statistical information. Statistical data is widely used in taking all administration decisions. Allocation of budgets or funds mainly should be depending upon stats , it will help in estimating the expected expenditures and revenue from different sources. So stats are the administration of the state.

For us to better monitor policy frameworks , such as Poverty Reduction Strategies even for progress towards the International Agreed Millenium Development Goals.

Reliable Stats such as ours describe the reality of people`s every day lives. Tells us something we know , though with scientific evidence, it high lights areas that mostly need resources and provides the means to track progress , assess the impact of different policies and improve transparency and accountability which is assent oak for good governance by enabling electorates to judge the success of government policies and hold their government to account for those and manage effective delivery of basic services,

Quoting from the words of Hon. Professor Peter Anyang Ayong, the then Minister for Planning and National Development in Kenya:

"An essential component of any development planning is data, without data, a country`s effort to plan for future growth and welfare of its people cannot be grounded in reality and therefore may be severely flowed "

Harisofihli huwena Ritlofihla -rest assured

Riyasebesta aribapali itla-liwena Votela ANC- August 3

Kuyalebuwa

ANC supports the Vote 12 of 2016

Vote 12: STATISTICS National Assembly

Mr Narend Singh, MP Inkatha Freedom Party
 

Madam Speaker, when I first arrived at Parliament, Stats SA (then known as Central Statistical Service) was headed by a chief director and was seen as a very insignificant department reporting to the minister of Home Affairs.
Today Stats SA is headed by the Statistician General on the level of a Director-General with several Deputy Director General’s and over 50 Chief Directors.

The reporting was moved to the Minister of Finance and now to the Minister in the Presidency. Over this period of time Stats SA has become one of the leading National Statistical Offices in the world, they have embraced technology and now conduct paperless surveys, with all data being electronically captured, thereby reducing the processing time to one month to the delivery of accurate results.

A large part of the credit must go to Dr Pali Lehohla, the Statistician General (SG) for South Africa. As most people recognise him as the man in the yellow suite.

Going forward the following are my concerns and Madam Speaker, we would like some clarity from the Minister in this regard:
Firstly, we note the large budget cut; How is this organization going to manage collecting crucial statistics that the country and world so desperately needs; Can you imagine when the GDP calculations are affected? And the negative effect this could have on South Africa when ratings agencies come calling and base their assessments on our credit worthiness as a country on sub-standard and incomplete statistical information.

Secondly, we have been hearing of the National Statistical system for several years but we cannot see any evidence of progress towards unifying all statistical data collection in our country. The SG is statistician general for all of South Africa and not only Stats SA, but where is the evidence of coordination with all National government departments?

Thirdly, the SG has served with distinction for over 15 years and is not getting younger, as we can see from the loss of hair, and will retire in a few years. Will the National Statistical Systems activities be completed during his tenure? And in this regard can the minister explain the succession planning that he has put in place at Stats SA?

Fourthly, todays key buzz words are ‘data mining’ with data scientists being categorized as the sexiest job. How is Stats SA addressing the data revolution? What are the plans to incorporate administrative and transactional data into official statistics? What training and capacity building does Stats SA provide for the data scientist or official statistician? some years ago there was talk of a training institute with registration with SAQA?

Fifthly, not enough is done for the dissemination of data, we spend millions of rand’s on collection but are the users benefitting from all this data? Even we as members of parliament need the data and the Minister should therefore consider a Stats SA dissemination office in Parliament, possibly next to the GCIS information Centre. The website is simply not enough as most South Africans either do not have access to the internet or do not have enough bandwidth on slow speed internet connections to download data. The data should be made available on DVD’s and memory sticks to facilitate ease-of-download for members and the greater public.

The same should apply to all our schools. We used to have a Census at schools, why was this terminated as the schools are a very important group of stakeholders, not only to use our data but they become respondents in a few years and thus will definitely improve data collections?

Finally, Stats SA should receive more funding so that they can collect more data at grassroots levels as many countries are moving towards collecting all of their data with a geo-spatial reference to time and space. The municipalities, especially the Metro’s require GDP and other economic data at their level and not just at provincial level, and this will require larger samples and thus more funding.
In conclusion we look forward to Stats SA continuing with their good work, continuing to embrace technology and continuing to provide data for evidence based decision making.

Madam speaker, we support this vote.