Chairperson, hon members, ladies and gentlemen, as I present Budget Vote 13 for Statistics South Africa, Stats SA, to this House today I recognise that the true value of statistics is frequently difficult to grasp. Good quality, timeous statistics is a process synthesised carefully and with attention to fine detail; its regularity means that in the main it is a task performed without fuss. In fact, it is a bit like breathing. We all breathe involuntarily and frequently for long periods, and we are not even aware of our breathing. However, if there is a crisis when one's chest suddenly tightens - as happens, along with grey hair - and CPR is required, we suddenly become conscious of all that is involved in this otherwise involuntary act.
In many ways, statistics is like breathing. It is present and most of us are not conscious of it - until there is a crisis. If a series is not produced on time, or if there are aberrations in particular statistical outputs, everybody becomes very conscious of it. Because we cannot be driven by crisis, it is imperative that I appeal to Parliament for stronger oversight.
This year, oversight by Parliament assumes a new importance as the country readies itself for Census 2011, the third in our democratic dispensation. While the significance of this massive task cannot be taken lightly, it should not detract from the ongoing work of Stats SA. This raises a number of questions about the nature of the oversight and the responsibility of Parliament to monitor spending.
It is fundamentally important that Parliament and its committees use section 32 reports and the quarterly reports published by National Treasury to inform their work. It does not serve any purpose if all that matters is that Stats SA received an unqualified audit without considering that the data being collected and produced has less veracity.
I am very encouraged by the vigilance of the Standing Committee on Appropriations, which noticed a lag in spending in the third quarter of the previous financial year and called Stats SA to account. In encouraging that committee and other committees, I urge you to extend their oversight. If breathing results in the release of fuel, of oxygen for our bodies, then evidence-based decision-making is the fuel released by reliable statistics.
The 2011-12 budget for Stats SA has doubled over the baseline largely because of the census and remains slightly higher in the MTEF period due to the costs related to the processing of the data. In reiterating my call on Parliament to perform ongoing oversight to ensure apposite outcomes, it is important for MPs to understand their responsibility to ensure the success of the census. The census is not purely for Stats SA, it is not a government census, but it is a state census for the entire South Africa.
I therefore want to make a request - in fact, one plea - on behalf of Stats SA and in the interest of fiscal responsibility, for public representatives everywhere, in all spheres, to be involved in the Census. I am not suggesting that public representatives replace the enumerators or, heaven forbid, that there be some expectation that MPs should physically supervise the data processing, but rather that MPs assist by encouraging constituents to open their doors to census-takers and encouraging families to participate voluntarily in the counting exercise.
Each one of us as a public representative ought to know the community that we serve, the people in their homes, the community organisations, the faith- based organisations, and the sports organisations, and we should know of existing and prospective settlements and trends in those areas. It is our responsibility to dampen the fears of people who have to provide information to enumerators. Our responsibility is then to take an interest in spending by ensuring that everyone is counted. If the census fails, it will not be money well spent, regardless of the audit results.
If Stats SA is not able to penetrate every nook and cranny, the Census data will not be reliable. I want to turn to every Member of Parliament, every member of a provincial legislature and the soon-to-be newly elected councillors to assist with ensuring that enumerators are able to freely engage every household. It goes without saying that this appeal goes out to members of all political parties. We recognise that there are areas that pose challenges for enumerators where we need assistance, such as getting access to every household, for instance, in a secure block of flats, or getting into compound living areas, be these large golf estates or small gated communities.
As public representatives, we should also be able to facilitate interaction with immigrant communities, whether they are recorded or not. Once we as public representatives have opened the doors, then we can step aside to allow enumerators to do their work. In providing our support, it is imperative that we ensure that communities trust the process, and I want to suggest that our public representatives should also be available for tasks such as verifying enumerators.
In undertaking this census 10 years after the previous one, we need to understand its significance. In all other probability sample surveys that Stats SA undertakes, selecting a percentage from the total, the sample selected would be around 30 000 households out of a total of about 13 million or 14 million now. At certain times that sample size is increased to 300 000 households, as was the case in the Community Survey. In other surveys repeat visits are implemented, as is the case at the moment with the Income and Expenditure Survey, which will be used to provide the source material for the basket of goods that will be used for the Consumer Price Index, as well as the Living Conditions Survey, which is a repeat survey.
The census is not a sample. It is different. The endeavour is to count every person living in South Africa between 10 and 31 October this year. It is not a sample - it has to be the true reflection against which all samples can be measured between this census and the next, which might be as far away as 2021. In this regard it has to be as accurate and as reliable a reflection as we can get.
An undercount therefore introduces the unnecessary risk of distortion. So, it is important that we understand that people who hide from enumerators or who blatantly tell untruths are breaking the law and risk wasting the overall spend on the census.
We need to understand very clearly why the census data is as vitally important as being able to breathe and what happens when there are difficulties. We are aware that there are parts of the country where residents have expressed dissatisfaction with service delivery and when this impacts on their responses, it obviously creates these difficulties.
Refusing to answer the questions posed by the enumerator because of anger due to, say, poor water or sewerage services or because electricity supply is nonexistent will not assist us with getting an accurate picture of service delivery needs. It is for this reason that we attach so much weight to the Census and it is precisely why we need public representatives to encourage communities to respond fully and honestly.
Understanding the circumstances and having a complete picture of the number and characteristics of the South African society allows government to engage in evidence-based decision-making and planning. For Parliament it is of paramount importance that this information is accurate as it allows for more informed and in-depth oversight.
Many of the members of this committee are also members of the Portfolio Committee on Finance and issues such as the Division of Revenue is debated in the context of fiscal arrangements. Unless you know where people are living, it's actually exceedingly difficult to make a fair allocation between provinces. Here the emphasis is on the fairness.
Particularly when one takes into account the power to amend money Bills that is contained in that legislation, then the information gained from the Census should provide a sound basis for evaluating government priorities. It is therefore in all our interest that this census is a resounding success.
In his state of the nation address, President Zuma announced that Makhaya Ntini would be a Census ambassador. I now want to invite all public representatives to join in as ambassadors for the Census. Join Makhaya Ntini, bowl a mean fast ball and market the Census!
Let me inform the House about some of the preparations. On 10 October last year, we announced the countdown of a year to the Census. The message to all South Africans is simple: "You count!" In what is often referred to as the largest mobilisation in times of peace, the Census will employ a workforce of 156 000 people in a staggered manner. About 6 000 fieldworkers started training earlier this year and continued to do so in preparation for the training of 30 000 supervisors by the beginning of September and 120 000 enumerators by the middle of September this year. They will be deployed across the country, where they will interact with more than 50 million people living in approximately 14 million households.
It is crucial that no household is overlooked and therefore Stats SA has divided the country into 103 000 enumeration areas, with at least one enumerator per area. I must indicate that these demarcations have nothing to do with municipal boundaries and are purely in place as a tool to manage the Census. The verification process of enumeration areas started early this year and will be completed in July 2011.
These enumerators will be fluent in the languages of the enumeration area, will have questionnaires in all official languages and, in the event that they may encounter a language that they are not familiar with, they will be equipped with a translation booklet. I am not sure if we will be doing it in Russian and Kazakh and so on, but it will certainly be in the languages we speak in this part of the world.
In addition to having Stats SA-issued identity cards, enumerators will also be identified by their yellow bibs, yellow caps and yellow bags. They'll look almost as yellow as the Statistician-General. [Laughter.] We are aware of the concerns that many people may have about allowing strangers into their homes. To allay these and other fears, all applicants will have their credentials verified by the State Security Agency before being employed.
On 9 October 2011, enumerators will visit establishments such as hospitals and hotels to distribute forms. Between 10 and 31 October 2011, enumerators will visit households, ensuring that they complete these forms.
The questionnaire is ready and has undergone several tests, including testing the viability of the questions by using a focus group and analysing the reactions to the questions. The processing of the questionnaires by scanning was tested during the pilot project and the pre-census test. The printing is on its halfway mark and will be completed by June. The logistics plan is in place and Stats SA has established an additional 64 district offices, ensuring that we get all the work through.
During the Budget debate last year, I raised concerns about the undercount of 10% that was experienced in 1996 and of 17% experienced in 2001. I challenged Stats SA not simply to reduce it to a single digit but to a maximum of 2%. The challenge is still in place and I am urging members to assist them with meeting that target.
There is no denying that the Census is the largest project that Stats SA undertakes. Last year we discussed the changes that had been made to the Consumer Price Index, CPI, so that it accurately reflected the impact of price changes on the living standards of families. As trends constantly change, Stats SA is currently undertaking an Income and Expenditure Survey to review the contents of the CPI basket once more. This survey is expected to be completed in the next six months, with the reweighted basket being completed in the third quarter of the next financial year. However, at this stage we can't indicate when the new CPI will be available, because it depends on the extent to which the basket changes. If you change it by more than a quarter, then you actually need to run concurrent surveys over at least 12 months to get a new indication. It is a better measure. We would like to have it sooner but at this stage we couldn't indicate how spending patterns have changed exactly.
In addition, the Producer Price Index, which is the factory-gate price index, is also being retooled substantially, including by having additional goods added. It is envisaged that this process will be completed in the next financial year, as it requires one year of overlap in order to see the difference in the index. Today, I make the undertaking that we will report to Parliament on progress with regard to this initiative as well.
The Statistics Act makes it very clear that Stats SA is responsible for the production of national statistics. However, the collection of raw data is a national competency and in this regard Stats SA depends on government departments to manage their administrative records as crucial sources of statistical information. Section 14 of the Statistics Act sets out the parameters for the co-ordination of statistical collection and the production across the country, and although there has been some progress in developing an integrated national system of statistics, South Africa's overall statistics system still remains reasonably fragmented.
While there are large areas requiring attention, Stats SA maintains the quality of statistics by ensuring that these sources qualify as potential candidates for official statistics by subjecting them to the South African Statistical Quality Assessment Framework. Parliamentary monitoring of this aspect of Stats SA's work in relation to government departments will play a strong role in improving the collection of national statistics.
It is crucial to understand that while the information will have statistical relevance, it can also be used to track a wide range of social and economic trends. We need to understand the improvement in the co- ordination of statistics as part of our developmental agenda. Co-ordination of official statistics across organs of state remains critical in order to use evidence as the basis for decisions, and statistics remains core to this process. A culture of measurement and record-keeping must be encouraged among all organs of state. While the building blocks exist through the monitoring and evaluation and planning frameworks, these require the crucial ingredients of capacity.
Last year I informed you of the joint initiative between Stats SA, SA Revenue Services, and the Department of Trade and Industry, aimed at creating a single business register. I am pleased to announce that the policy framework and draft legislation - the key mechanisms to bringing about this transformed business registration environment - have been developed and are being refined before getting Cabinet's approval.
Developing tools for the reliable and accurate measurement of our economy is a national imperative and not simply an option. The business registration system is one of the tools that will provide clarity about role-players in the SA economy. You need to know which businesses are there, and the sectors where they are operating, so that you can sample adequately and get core data sets, such as employment and so forth.
In the same way that producing national statistics is a collaborative effort, we rely on our partners to assist. This initiative is one that will benefit a great deal from the strong oversight by Parliament, as was mentioned earlier. It was not just the Department of Trade and Industry that was involved, but also the Company and Intellectual Property Registration Office, Cipro, in particular, so Parliament's interest in this joint venture becomes fundamental.
We will all agree that statistics production requires very specific skills and in order to cultivate these skills to ensure a steady supply of statisticians, Stats SA has established an intern programme. The organisation also provides bursaries to learners after they pass a selection process. To further ensure that there is a return on the investment, students are monitored during their tertiary education, and after qualifying they are employed as interns at Stats SA. This rigorous process ensures not only that the students are employed but also that they are properly qualified and employable. I once again call on the members of this House to assist with ensuring that the compilation of the statistics that guide this government be as smooth and effortless as breathing. The good health of Stats SA should serve to prevent it from suffering a loss of oxygen.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the Standing Committee on Finance, ably chaired by the hon Thaba Mufamadi, for consistently providing thoughtful insights and challenges to Stats SA. I want to express our appreciation to the Statistician-General, Mr Pali Lehohla, and his team, to the Stats Council, chaired by Mr Howard Gabriels, and to the Audit Committee, chaired by Ms Ren van Wyk, who is here with us today as well, for their advice and hard work to date. I want to wish them every success with all the work of Stats SA, particularly with the work of the Census. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members, I am aware that in our midst we have the Statistician-General, Mr Pali Lehohla, and the chairperson of the council, Mr Howard Gabriels. I always forget this name. [Interjections.] I'm still coming to him. I also want to note the chair of the strategy committee of the council, Mr Ben Mphahlele, and the chair of the Audit committee, Ren Van Wyk, and all of you. You are welcomed.
The Minister has already mentioned the kind of support that public representatives should provide to ensure that we help and support the work of the department. One of the discussions that we had in the committee was a resolution that it would be a little unfair to allow the Statistician- General to be the only man in the country to wear a yellow suit. [Laughter.] Therefore, maybe we should consider the chair of the Standing Committee on Finance joining him, if a tailor is provided and the right measurements are taken. [Laughter.]
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa enjoins us to, among other things and most importantly, heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice, and fundamental human rights; and lay the foundation for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by the law. It further enjoins us to improve the quality of life of citizens and free the potential of each person, as well as build a united, democratic South Africa that is able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.
To my knowledge, it never occurred before 1994 that the Census project gets launched by the heads of the state. It was only in 1996 that President Nelson Mandela launched Census 1996 and also received the results of this project in 1998. Let me remind everyone of what he said when he received the results of Census 1996. The then President of the Republic said:
Now that we know how many of us are in the country and the challenges we face, we can advance our democracy and achieve a better life for all through the commitments we have made.
This to me and to all of us laid a firm foundation for Statistics SA to put in place a system of national accounts that complements the efforts of the Reserve Bank, and a system of social statistics to assess the welfare of the population through a diversity of household surveys and population censuses.
Furthermore, addressing the jubilee of SA Statistical Association, Sasa, in 2003, the then Minister of Finance and now the Minister in the Presidency: National Planning Commission, Minister Trevor Manuel, posed five key challenges to the South African, African and global community of statistics. Among the challenges he posed are that:
We should look into the lack of trust in statistics, poverty of statistical skills, mediocre discourse where results trump methods, and onerous requirements of playing in a different league of the Special Data Dissemination Standards South Africa plunged into at the time.
He also said:
Returning to Sasa, I would suggest that of its 50 years of existence, the past decade has been the most challenging and the most rewarding because it is the first period that Sasa was freed from the structures of apartheid. For the first time, therefore, Sasa could draw on the skills of a much wider cross-section of South Africans. This fact is borne out by the representation here.
In short, at the time the Minister asked Sasa to address the statistical skills gap, statistical quality gap, and the statistical quantity gap so that they could be addressed.
Evidence suggests that to understand statistical development and how to influence its further development require that one should appreciate the interplay among economic performance, political stability, and prospects for statistical development. Equally, a historical perspective points out how this interplay in the past worked out to the detriment of statistics. However, the same interplay currently seems to work to the benefit of statistics in this country. This is due, by and large, to the leadership of the institution, the culture and practice in the arena of statistical development.
This achievement by the department of statistics demands that it must continue to identify opportunities and co-invest in statistical value creation so that the official statistics enable us to minimise the risk associated with undercounting that may lead to wrong policy choices. This is a leadership call that Stats SA must remain alive at all material times, because statistics play a vital role in the reduction of poverty - particularly in describing the reality of people's daily lives such as where the poor are, their living conditions and reasons for their poverty - and thus provide evidence to enable government to develop a measuring and monitoring tool to effectively develop policies and improve accountability and good governance.
It informs the formulation of the equitable share distribution of the nationally raised revenue in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of our country, in particular the Division of Revenue Bill. It is also a source used to count down poverty, such as the measuring the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in the areas of halving the proportion of people living in abject poverty and suffering from hunger; reducing the number of underweight children and the percentage of children, especially girls, who do not go to school; reducing child and maternal mortality, and reversing the spread of HIV/Aids.
Development is a function of evidence-based policy-making and implementation. Therefore statistical data should be timeous and of such integrity and relevance that the transformation of our society is expedited both qualitatively and quantitatively. As we all know, the quality of statistical information determines our collective capacity to realise the ideals not only of our Constitution, but the glorious ideals of the people of South Africa, as enshrined in the Freedom Charter, that we all shall share in the wealth of our country.
Our government's steeled commitment to evidence-based policy-making has been the cause of an escalating demand for data. This commitment is expressed in many social organisations such as labour; business; nongovernmental organisations, NGOs; and the donor community. In the same vein, stakeholders are continuously demanding accurate, relevant and timeous information for decision-making.
Planning and statistics are mutually inclusive. Therefore the location of both the planning and the statistics competencies in the Presidency will ensure that the alignment of all government activities is realised. It should, however, be highlighted that there are factors that tend to limit Statistics SA's ability to respond adequately to due demands. Among them would be the demand for statistical information, which is far outweighed by the supply of adequate information and reliable data. The scarcity of statistical skills is also a major constraint to most institutions in the production of quality statistics. Statistics SA has achieved much in generating the requisite information which informed policy formulation in the past 15 years.
After going through the strategic plans of the department and the budget presentations, and making several observations on the allocation of resources, and the undertaking by the department to improve the productivity and service delivery of Statistics SA through integrated survey operations, ensuring effective management support and systems, and improving governance and accountability, it is therefore our pleasure and my pleasure to say the committee supports Budget Vote 13.
E reng ke t?ee sebaka se ke bot?e badulammogo mo Afrika Borwa ka bophara gore mo dikgweding t?e nne t?e di latelago, e tla be e le lenaneo lela la bommalabatho. Re re ba amogeleng gomme le ba bulele mejako gore ba kgone go le bala gore mmu?o o tsebe gore dinyakwa t?a lena di tla kgonwa ke ma?eleng a makae. Le se ke la ba t?haba. Bolelang le bona gomme le ba fe tshedimo?o goba bonnete bja ditaba gobane go bohlokwa gore mmu?o o kgone go le loki?et?a dilo t?a lena ka tsebo le dilo t?e di hlatlamanago mmogo.
Ke rata go t?ea sebaka se gape gore ke leboge tiri?ano ya komiti le maloko a Komiti ye e Ikemet?ego ya t?a Matlotlo le t?homi?anommogo le maofisiri le Tona go t?wa Ofising ya Mopresidente le ba Kgoro ya Dipalopalo ya Afrika- Borwa. Ke re go lena, tsebang gore re le thekgile re le ba komiti. Re re ge le dira ka mokgwa wo o swanet?ego, thekgo ya rena e tla phela e na le lena. Ke a leboga. [Legofsi.] (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)
[Let me take this opportunity to convey the message to fellow South Africans at large that the Census project will be commencing in the next four months. Kindly welcome the fieldworkers in your respective homes for the smooth running of the process, so that the government is able to estimate on the budget according to the needs of the people. Don't be scared of them. Supply them with the correct information; it will help government to make informed decisions on service delivery, based on your needs thereof.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the committee and members of the Standing Committee on Finance for their co-operation with the officials, the Minister in the Office of the Presidency, and Statistics South Africa, Stats SA. The committee supports you. As long as you perform up to standard, we will always support you. I thank you. [Applause.]]
Chairperson, Statistics South Africa plays a vital role in our economy and has a number of important functions to perform. These functions are both tangible and intangible. They are also quantitative and qualitative. Stats SA is strongly symbolic of what we need to achieve in South Africa: we need to examine and understand our past, learn its valuable lessons, and focus on the future.
The crucial intangible role of Stats SA is to ensure that it transmits credible economic data to South Africans, who participate in our local economy every day, and to foreign participants, who can choose to invest in and trade with a vast array of competitor economies across the world. During the debate last year, I raised the DA's concern that when the size of government was, unnecessarily, increased with the establishment of a Ministry in the Presidency for the National Planning Commission, the executive authority of Stats SA was transferred from the Minister of Finance to the Minister in the Presidency: National Planning Commission and that there was no clarity on how Parliament would hold Statistics SA to account. The Standing Committee on Finance appeared to be involved with the strategy and budget of Stats SA at the whim of the Minister and necessitated by the requirement for Parliament to approve its budget. The DA proposed that a committee should be established to provide oversight over the Presidency to remove this uncertainty. This remains our position.
In his presentation to the Standing Committee on Finance, the Minister explained at length that the work of Stats SA is independent and that neither the Minister nor his colleagues in the executive can manipulate the numbers, as was evidenced in other economies during the crisis that triggered the Great Recession, from which the global economy has not yet recovered.
The DA does not doubt the sincerity of the Minister. His track record in developing our National Treasury into one of the strongest fiscal units in the world, with a highly competent and dedicated team able to maintain fiscal discipline in an extremely noisy environment, speaks for itself. But nothing stays the same forever. Executives change, as do Ministers, and not always for the better. Given the current design of the national planning model, Stats SA must inform the output of the National Planning Commission and not the other way around. There must be no room for confusion over the independence of Stats SA and its interface with the National Planning Commission. We also need clarity on how Statistics SA interfaces with the advisory panel of the Department of Economic Development, if at all. Given this complexity, the Standing Committee on Finance, despite being a highly functional committee, cannot effectively provide this oversight.
The work of Stats SA is made far more difficult under prevailing circumstances, where participants in our economy are not entirely sure where economic policy is being formulated within government and the direction the policy will take. In particular, mixed signals over nationalisation of the mines and noise about tighter control over the banking sector increase uncertainty and perceived risks in our economy.
Stats SA does not formulate economic policy, but it does measure the impact of policy and will identify the pattern emerging from the numbers it generates. To be effective, Stats SA needs to input its findings into appropriate policy development while the data is fresh and relevant. This will enhance its credibility and demonstrate the value that Stats SA can add to our developing economy.
The tangible work of Stats SA is to support participants to make sense of the economic world in which they operate. Stats SA gives life to the numbers that populate the economic indicators that direct economic activity every day. Its five-year Strategic Plan from 2010-11 to 2014-15 concludes that Stats SA's central tenet is to promote the use of statistical information for evidence-based decisions and to deepen and expand the evidential knowledge base for society and thereby increase society's understanding of social and economic phenomena.
This is not an easy objective to achieve, especially within a turbulent socioeconomic environment. The promised Poverty Line Index was never developed but replaced with a range of other instruments to measure the extent of poverty in South Africa. These should inform us about the levels and causes of poverty so that progress on improvement could be monitored and the impact, or not, of policy interventions could be determined. Much more attention should be focused on poverty alleviation and reduction, and Stats SA should collect and disseminate the necessary statistics.
One of the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, is to halve poverty by 2014. Although the Living Conditions Survey, LCS, will be concluded, how will we know whether poverty reduction has been achieved if the appropriate measurement instruments are not in place? It is already clear that the objective to halve unemployment is not on track and is highly unlikely to be achieved unless significant policy changes are made to lift the existing, extremely heavy barriers to job creation imposed by inappropriate job-crushing economic policies.
One of the key lessons from the Great Recession is that asymmetrical information can distort an economic system to the extent that it cannot self-correct and under such circumstances economic activity slows down until, without intervention, millions more individuals are driven into unemployment, poverty and despair.
The role of government in this process is ensuring that the economic system is functional, and intervening to facilitate and stimulate economic activity so that individuals can pursue opportunities to improve their own lives and those of future generations. To create jobs, a government must make the environment easier for economic activity to thrive and for entrepreneurial activity to germinate, take root, and grow.
Service delivery protests are a tangible measurement of the people's frustration at being deprived of services to which they are entitled and that government policy intervention is not yielding the desired results. The people have been patient, but they won't wait forever and powerful feedback from the people to government through protest action cannot be ignored.
Stats SA's strategic plan makes reference to a new era for statistical development, resulting from the need for evidence-based policy-making. This means that Stats SA needs to go beyond providing a quantitative statistic and ask the qualitative questions - why a phenomenon yields a particular result and what action is required to encourage the statistic to move in the right direction.
Expanding the statistical information base by increasing its depth, breadth and geographical spread lies at the core of Stats SA's strategy to lead and co-ordinate the provision of relevant, reliable and quality statistical information to measure the social, cultural and economic welfare of all South Africans.
In its work programme for 2011-12 Stats SA sets out the detail of its seven programmes and nine key priorities. The statistical process, identified in its generic value chain, is complex and relies on the administration that supplies the data. In its presentation to the committee last year, Stats SA expressed its concern over the reliability of these secondary data sources and pointed out the declining trust and confidence in public institutions and weak planning across the three spheres of government.
Given that Statistics SA must co-ordinate statistical planning, production and reporting among organs of state, interdepartmental collaboration to improve the quality of statistics available for policy-making decisions is a welcome step in the right direction. More comprehensive statistics on safety, education and health can enrich the debate on how to achieve the most benefit from the application of limited resources. Progress on the implementation of the South African National Statistics System will facilitate this process.
More in-depth demographic and social analysis is required to understand and monitor migration patterns. Our ancestors have been migrating for millions of years, and this phenomenon is not going to stop now, no matter how many obstacles are placed in its way. Quite simply, people move around, sometimes in a trickle and sometimes in a flood. We need to measure it, monitor it and ensure that policies reflect the appropriate reality.
Our population today is estimated at approximately 50 million people. Census 2011 will provide an opportunity to determine how many people are actually resident in South Africa, where they are located and their living conditions. The most recent census was conducted a decade ago in October 2001. Statistics SA had originally hoped to release results in October 2002, within a year of completing the enumeration. The key results were only released in July 2003 and full data sets were made available to the public at the end of 2003. A range of unforeseen problems caused delays at different stages of the process. The preparation by Stats SA to date will hopefully prevent a repeat of the problems encountered and avoid the resultant concern over the validity of the outcome. The DA fully supports the census project and will encourage everyone in South Africa to make themselves available for enumeration. We agree that the chairperson of the Standing Committee on Finance will look very good in a yellow suit. [Laughter.]
Management theory argues that if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it. In 2008, the Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress was appointed by Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of the Republic of France, in response to concerns about the adequacy of current measures of economic performance, especially those based on figures for Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and concerns about the relevance of the GDP figures as measures of economic, environmental and social sustainability.
The subsequent report by Joseph Stiglitz, Amartya Sen and Jean-Paul Fitoussi suggests that trying to capture what is going on in our society with a set of numbers that is too small can be grossly misleading. They recommended the development of better measures of economic performance in a complex economy; a shift in emphasis from measuring economic production to measuring people's wellbeing; considering objective and subjective dimensions of wellbeing; a pragmatic approach towards measuring sustainability; and physical indicators for environmental pressures.
The report concludes that the issue is indeed complex - more complex than the already complicated issue of measuring current wellbeing or performance. The lesson for Stats SA is to keep abreast of developments on the cutting edge of statistical analysis and evolve statistical methods and indicators over time to ensure that they measure what really matters.
Stats SA also needs to consider several unanswered questions about our economy, essential for policy-making, such as: How big is the informal sector? How much illicit trading is happening in our economy? Are reports on illicit financial trade flows from our economy correct? How big is the mismatch between earned and declared income in our economy?
Although Stats SA still has much work to do, it is improving over time. Stats SA enriches the economic debate and improves efficiency through its provision of quality information. It is a valuable national asset that serves us well in our quest to improve the lives of all the people in South Africa and its efforts are greatly appreciated. [Applause.]
I see in this Chamber you do not cross the floor but simply jump. So let's beware!
A census, as we know it today, is a relatively new tool to assist governments to govern more effectively. In 1940, only 45 countries conducted a census. Ten years later it went up to 68. In 1960, only 77 countries conducted a census. The United States led the first census in 1790 and counted only 3,9 million Americans. This was later adjusted by the then President Jefferson to 4,1 million. Today, the United States is a leading nation in running successful censuses.
It is interesting to note that in 1960, the undercount in America and Europe was about 2,6%. In Asia it was 8% and in Africa 10%. These error ranges would have been considerably lower if those responsible did account for losses in accuracy in each year since 1960. If this was done, error ranges could have been as low as 3,5% in Africa.
South Africa was late in introducing scientific population censuses when compared with other British colonies. The pre-1990 census lacked credibility. In 1996, the census was flawed and, by the admission of the department itself:
Documentation of key elements was not properly classified, catalogued and archived. The result: the strategic and operational planning for some key areas of the 2001 census was not based on the lessons and the experiences of the 1996 census.
Because of that, the undercount of 10% in 1996 went up to a whopping 17% in 2001. The average in African countries and globally is now less than 5%. This year, 2011, is the make-or-break year in the census history of this country. South Africans need better treatment this time, but they must realise that the success of the census will depend on their individual participation. Our campaign must convince South Africans this time that it is in their interest to participate and make sure they are counted.
South Africans must trust the process and embrace it. I hope that we shall see the necessary public relations, PR, campaigns to involve us all. Let us in Parliament, like previous speakers said, and all legislatures play an active role. What we have done for the World Cup in 2010, we should do for Census 2011. Why? Because a census is a useful and accurate idea of the make-up of the population and allows governments to provide services and allocate funding to those who should get it.
Therefore, if you do not participate, you loose. Remember, in the politics of population you can eliminate yourself, and thereby your services, by not participating. The amount of funding allocated is directly related to how many and what kind of people the census shows live in an area. It is a very effective tool to combat poverty. However, this census needs to include everyone, everywhere. South Africans must understand this and the Statistician-General's information campaigns must communicate this simple message.
The rich and the poor of this country must jointly embrace the census. Individuals must understand that the census is not a method to spy on them. A census is not a state of surveillance; it is not to be used against specific population groups, as we saw in Nazi-controlled Europe, or the Soviet Union, or apartheid South Africa.
Please make sure this time that people stay around their homes during the census, that they understand that they need to participate, that they assist officials and that they trust the process. They must know that it is confidential, and that the census, or the particular official, will not compromise their security, and that Agri SA is invited to assist and partner this process on farms. Let's not falter and make the same mistakes again.
Let's convince all South Africans that modern governments require information upon which to operate and make judgements. Let's all realise the importance of participating in this census and make sure government funding is correctly allocated to better services. Let's all count on this census and stand up to be counted. Cope shall support the Budget Vote. [Applause.]
Chairperson, as the joke goes, it takes a very confrontational politician to turn statistics into something debatable or controversial. I will try not to be such a person! [Laughter.] I share entirely all that has been said and I do not want to repeat it.
Statistics are important to manage the country. We all need to make a personal contribution to ensure that people realise that and participate in the census. That is all fine. But we are spending R3,24 billion in conducting the census. Then we are moving up to R1,6 billion the next year, and R1,7 billion the following year. We have got R400 million for corporate relations, which will increase to R437 million, and skyrocket to R466 million in corporate relations. Now, this is real money! What are we doing with this real money?
There are two separately identifiable tasks. There is the scientific task of identifying indicators, questions and relevant information to be sought. That also includes the subsequent task of analysing that information, which is crunching the numbers and conducting the type of analytical activity that the hon George was referring to. That is one type of a task which Stats SA is uniquely qualified to perform and they alone can conduct.
Then there is a separate task, which is that of actually collecting the information. It happens once every 10 years. A special of effort is made. A special infrastructure is constructed for this specific purpose only. Once it is established, and it has performed its task, it is disbanded. That infrastructure requires management capacity, which must reside in Stats SA permanently, so that when the job comes to pass again they can re-establish what was then done.
So, the question that arises is why don't we look at internalising these types of skills within the fabrics of government? I accept the difficulty of the argument of independence. But each ward, each local government structure at local level, and each regional local government structure has the obligation of governing the territory, with the awareness of what the numbers are in the territories.
This is a function that could be placed within civil protection. This is a function that could be placed within local government. Then there would be enough capacity within Stats SA today to create indicators; and to make sure that the foreseeable abuses militating against the argument of locating it there - such as people inflating numbers to get more benefits from government - can be looked at, with adequate corrective and spot checks. That is the first point.
The second point - the hon George also raised it - is in respect of the oversight function of Parliament with regard to Stats SA. It needs to be said here that this is really a crucial issue. We, as a Parliament, who do not exercise sufficient oversight over the Presidency as such, where ... [Interjections.]
Hon Ambrosini, you have a minute left.
Yes, I have a clock - one minute, 36 seconds! [Laughter.] ... a number of functions are now positioned at the executive level within the Presidency. The Presidency was not supposed to be an executive legislative implementer, but now it is. So, I wish to echo the sentiments expressed by the hon George.
The last point, Chairperson, with your leave - I have another minute and 8 seconds - is the issue of immigration. The statistics we got in 2001 were very faulty in respect of immigrants in this country. The answer that is often given is that we will need to make them understand that by disclosing their existence and whereabouts to Stats SA, they are not going to compromise themselves, especially if their papers are not in order and they are otherwise illegal.
This has been an ongoing problem for the country since the first counting of immigrants conducted by the UN council for social research, in conjunction with the ... [Time expired.]
Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members and officials, I stand here today, confidently making the bold statement that South Africa is my home. I know this because I have the information and the numbers to prove it.
Stats SA gives us information and numbers that help us to know and understand our country much better. It is one of our most important institutions in nation-building and a crucial element in strengthening the capacity of the developmental state to pursue its strategic goals. As we roll up our sleeves in our various fields in society to pursue our most important national task, that of job creation, we look to Stats SA to give us correct and reliable numbers and information for planning, monitoring and evaluation to show how far we have gone on this mission.
Since it is a knowledge institution, Stats SA contributes towards job creation through value-adding in areas such as the provision of reliable data, analytical capacity to the state and society, and skills development. It is a sad fact to accept that South Africa is faced with the massive challenge of skills shortages in most of the crucial areas that are important in growing our economy and reducing unemployment, such as statisticians and others in quantitative fields.
For our goal of job creation to be achieved at the targeted pace we have set for ourselves, we will have to urgently focus attention on skills and capacity development in this field. It is encouraging and welcoming to note that Stats SA has identified and addressed the statistical skills capacity gap. As one of the priorities of its Strategic Overview of 2007 to 2014, it is planning, over the medium term, to focus on developing human capacity through its internship, learnership and school programmes; establishing a statistics training institute and partnering with tertiary institutions; investing in information capital by modernising the way the organisation conducts its business, including restructuring the way data and information are developed and managed; and creating a positive organisational culture and management ethos that are able to embrace and drive change.
By placing training as one of its priorities, as demonstrated in this programme, Stats SA has shown that it is recognising the magnitude of the problem in respect of the lack of a sufficient supply of statistical skills in South Africa, and therefore its efforts must be supported.
The ANC, as the governing party, is fully behind the organisational programme for internships, learnerships, schools programmes and establishing a statistics training institution and partnering with tertiary institutions, because of our long-established commitment towards skills development in the country, as demonstrated by our policies.
We, as the ANC movement, believe that the role of a developmental state in skills development is not only through financing but, most importantly, by facilitating the acquisition of practical experience of graduates, as well as the provision of training on site, through government departments, especially state institutions such as Stats SA, public entities and state- owned enterprises.
As a movement, we have placed this as one of our key priorities upon which we were elected into government in 2009. To amplify this, we had thus resolved at our 52nd National Conference in 2007 to invest in priority skills and education, including the following: improving our performance in mathematics, science and technology; significantly expanding the resources devoted to our capacity as a people for knowledge production; and expanding resources devoted to innovation and research.
It is within this policy framework that we must encourage Stats SA to play a central role in developing the skills of our children and the youth in all the fields of statistics. The offices and building of Stats SA should become friendly spaces open to learners and the public for knowledge acquisition, and for gaining access to information about the state of the country. Stats SA must play a leading role in demystifying statistics in the minds of the South African public. This is so important at this stage of our development, because without proper statistical literacy and awareness, it would be easy for our democratic gains to be reversed.
Statistics are part and parcel of our ideological battle in society. They can be used appropriately for development, but they can also be abused in an ideological manner on an unsuspecting population. This is currently manifested by the influx of so-called studies containing all manner of statistical information, which have been strategically released in the period leading up to the local government elections. Although some of them are genuine and reliable in respect of informing the public about the state of our conditions and to assist the public to make better electoral choices, there is no way of knowing which ones are not the best, which ones are the worst, or which ones are biased.
Stats SA should be the one institution that we can rely on if we are to test the reliability of these statistics and the results of studies. It can do so by promoting the statistical literacy of the people, improving statistical education, and becoming more accessible and user-friendly in its information products.
On the basis of its commitment to this mission of skills and capacity development in the fields of statistics, we must support the Stats SA Budget Vote. It constitutes an important value-add towards the promotion of job creation and nation-building. [Applause.]
Chairperson, the ACDP would like to commend the Statistician- General, the Statistics Council and the staff for their commitment in providing accurate social and economic statistics on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis. The work of Stats SA is held in high regard, both domestically and internationally.
Many people do not realise the important role that Stats SA is playing in obtaining these official statistics. This information is used for evidence- based decision-making, information, planning, monitoring programme implementation and performance for research and historical value. This should also assist us as parliamentarians in monitoring a broad range of indicators from the economic sector, such as the levels of GDP growth, Consumer Price Index and Producer Price Index, employment and job creation, population dynamics, safety and security, and health and education - the whole spectrum of society. In the absence of statistical evidence, policy- making and oversight would be nigh impossible.
One of the concerns pointed out by Stats SA was the conflicting sources of information in health and education statistics, and that crime was only reported from administration records. There is no doubt a need to address these issues. Surveys were suggested, as well as ensuring interdepartmental co-operation to streamline crime, health and education statistics. This the ACDP supports.
As far as the census is concerned, clearly, the ACDP would like to express its full support. Accurate statistics regarding the size of the population will enable government to allocate services and resources better, particularly in the fight against poverty and unemployment. We fully support this. We also understand that, afterwards, all surveys will be measured against the statistics that the census produced. So, we as the ACDP call on all households to co-operate. Clearly, there will be a challenge to access the myriad informal settlements, apartments and security complexes. It is crucial for the public to know that the information will be kept secret and confidential and that those who collect the data are sworn to secrecy. We trust that this will address underreporting, particularly of illegal immigrants who may be afraid that if they provide information, they will be deported.
Lastly, it is crucial that we as South Africans must be able to rely on the accuracy and reliability of the data provided by Stats SA. The world has seen examples of countries where statistics are tweaked to make the government look better, as in the case of Greece and Tunisia. Thankfully, we can rely on our national statistics as they are protected from political interference and are monitored by the Statistics Council. That does not mean, however, that there shouldn't be proper oversight over Stats SA itself. We support calls in this regard. The ACDP will support this Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]
Voorsitter, agb Minister, agb lede, en lede van Statistiek SA, betroubare en geloofwaardige statistiek vorm een van die steunpilare van 'n doeltreffende demokrasie. Amptelike, betroubare statistiek is die bousteen van 'n oop en deursigte regering vir doelmatige openbare administrasie en vir die doeltreffende werking van die ekonomie en die samelewing. Statistiek voorsien die wyer gemeenskap van inligting, ontledings en advies vir beter besluitneming, om debatte te verryk en navorsing te stimuleer.
Die finansiering van Sensus 2011 is 'n belangrike onderdeel van die begrotingspos wat vandag gedebatteer word. Aangesien 'n belangrike bevolkingsensus in Oktober vanjaar as Sensus 2011 onderneem word, is dit verstaanbaar dat di besondere finansieringsprogram 'n prioriteit in Statistiek SA se begrotingspos is. Hierdie moderne sensusstatistiek is hoogs verfynd. 'n Sensus is hoegenaamd nie 'n moderne konsep nie, en ons weet dat daar reeds in Keiser Augustus se tyd 'n sensus onderneem is.
Menslike kapitaal is die belangrikste aspek van enige samelewing. Ten einde 'n numeriese profiel van die bevolking saam te stel, is dit nodig dat vrae ten opsigte van ouderdom, geslag, opvoeding, beroep, ekonomiese aktiwiteite en ander belangrike eienskappe, asook ten opsigte van behuising, toegang tot water, beskikbaarheid van noodsaaklike geriewe, ensovoorts, gevra word. Die staat moet toegang h tot die krities belangrike inligting vir die vorming van beleid en die neem van besluite.
Inligting soos die grootte, aard, ligging en bevolkingsamestelling is onontbeerlik by die beplanning van sleuteldienste en is noodsaaklik vir opvolgingsmonitering. Data wat tydens die sensus ingesamel word, fasiliteer die mening oor die impak wat vorige beleidsrigtings en programme op sosio- ekonomiese en demografiese ontwikkeling gehad het. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[Ms P E ADAMS: Chairperson, hon Minister, hon members and members of Statistics SA, reliable and credible statistics constitute one of the pillars of an effective democracy. Official, reliable statistics are the cornerstone of an open and transparent government to ensure efficient public administration and the effective functioning of the economy and society. Statistics provide the wider community with information, analyses and advice for better decision-making, in order to enrich debates and stimulate research.
The funding of Census 2011 is an important component of the Budget Vote that we are debating today. Since an important population census is being undertaken in October this year as Census 2011, it is understandable that this particular funding programme is a priority in the Budget Vote of Statistics SA. This modern census statistic is extremely sophisticated. A census is by no means a modern concept, and we know that a census was undertaken as far back as the time of the Emperor Augustus.
Human capital is the most important aspect of any society. In order to compile a numeric profile of the population, it is necessary to ask questions in respect of age, gender, education, occupation, economic activities and other important aspects, as well as regarding housing, access to water, availability of essential facilities, and so forth. The state should have access to this critically important information in order to shape policy and take decisions.
Information such as the size, nature, location and composition of the population is indispensable for the planning of key services and is essential for follow-up monitoring. Data collected during the census facilitates the view of the impact that previous policies and programmes had on socioeconomic and demographic development.]
A census plays an essential role in public administration. Census information becomes a demographic, population and economic baseline that informs planning, monitoring and evaluation in all three spheres of government. The results are used to ensure equity in the distribution of government services, distribute and allocate government funds among various regions and districts for education and health services, reach the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, and to measure the impact of industrial development, to name a few.
Census information is also invaluable for use in the private sector for activities such as business planning and market analysis. To achieve this, the data has to be accurate and relevant. A population census is a complex and massive undertaking. Any minor oversight in the planning of pertinent activities could lead to costly inefficiencies in operations and seriously compromise the validity of the results derived from the data collected in the census. Hence, all possible measures are put in place to ensure the achievement of maximum economy when conducting various operations, while a balance is struck between the information that is required and its utility and the cost of collecting, processing and using that information. A census is an exercise that is too expensive to repeat or to result in collecting irrelevant data.
'n Bevolkingsensus is die mees omvattende en ingewikkelde statistieke onderneming wat in Suid-Afrika onderneem kan word. Di ontsaglike administratiewe, menslike en logistieke taak behels dat die hele land gekarteer en in 106 opnamegebiede afgebaken moet word. Elke adres in die staat moet gelys word. 'n Geweldige aantal opnemers moet gemobiliseer en opgelei word en 'n omvattende publisiteitsveldtog moet onderneem word. Dit behels dat alle huishoudings se deelname gewerf moet word en dat 20 miljoen vraelyste gedruk moet word, dat individuele inligting ingesamel word en dat daardie ontsaglike hoeveelheid inligting wat versamel is uiteindelik ontleed word sodat die verwerkte data beskikbaar gestel kan word.
Die beplanning van die sensus, die opbou van die kapasiteit en die voorbereiding van die stelsels sedert 2001 sal kulmineer in die vul van 156 000 veldposisies wat bestaan uit 6 000 veldwerkkordineerders, 30 000 toesighouers en 120 000 opnemers wat 14 miljoen huishoudings landwyd gaan besoek. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[A population census is the most comprehensive and complicated statistical undertaking that can be conducted in South Africa. This immense administrative, human and logistical task involves mapping the whole country and dividing it into 106 areas to survey. Each address in the country needs to be listed. A tremendous number of census staff need to be mobilised and trained and a comprehensive publicity campaign needs to be undertaken. This requires canvassing the participation of all households and printing 20 million questionnaires, collecting information on individuals, and ultimately analysing that immense amount of information collected so that the processed data can be made available.
Planning the census, building the capacity and preparing the systems since 2001 will culminate in filling 156 000 fieldworker positions comprising 6 000 fieldwork co-ordinators, 30 000 supervisors and 120 000 enumerators who will be visiting 14 million households countrywide.]
The Budget Vote supports spending over the medium term by focusing on expanding the statistical database. Thus, funding for the Census 2011 project and the national statistic system as a strategic priority is central to this Budget Vote. At R1,7 billion the population census subprogramme is the largest component of the Stats SA Budget Vote for the 2011-12 financial year.
Unlike in previous censuses, the government has approved the creation of a permanent structure for population censuses, the rationale being to ensure continuity and institutional memory. One can then rightly ask why permanent positions have not been created and skilled persons appointed in these positions to give effect to the President's call that decent employment opportunities should be created?
Pre-1994, there was no reliable information available around the country as a whole. In 1996, the newly elected ANC-led government conducted the first population census. Census 2011 will therefore be the fourth census to be carried out since the dawn of democracy. The data collected in the previous censuses have been extensively used in evaluating the impact of policies and programmes.
Census 2011 is therefore critical in the ANC campaign to create a better life for all by creating better communities, and in its programme to eradicate poverty. In addition, the major focus of the ANC for 2011 is job creation, and the data emanating from Census 2011 will assist in identifying new job- creation possibilities across sectors.
'n Sensusopname is 'n gewigtige en uitdagende onderneming. Dit vereis die samewerking van uiteenlopende politieke, ekonomiese en sosiale groepe. Die belangrikheid van die betrokkenheid van belanghebbendes in die opeenvolgende fases van die program ten einde hul eienaarskap en verantwoordbaarheid te verseker, is kritiek en kan dus nie onderskat word nie. Die lesse te leer uit die sensus in 2001 is dat die belanghebbendes se betrokkenheid in die ontwikkeling van inhoud beperk was terwyl publisiteitstrategie nie oor al die fases van die sensus gestrek het nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[A census survey is a serious and challenging undertaking. It requires the co-operation of diverse political, economic and social groups. The involvement of stakeholders in the consecutive phases of the programme in order to ensure their ownership and accountability is of critical importance and should consequently not be underestimated. The lessons to be learnt from Census 2001 are that the involvement of the stakeholders in the development of content was limited, while publicity strategies did not extend over all phases of the census.]
The success of Census 2011 does not only depend on how the various activities are implemented and monitored but also relies greatly on governance bodies, which enhance efforts of the teams that are mandated to execute the activities. It is in this regard that a variety of oversight bodies, including Parliament, the provincial legislatures, and local government, will be required to assist by promoting the programme.
Each Member of Parliament must carry the message of the importance of this event into their constituencies and encourage them to take ownership of the programme to ensure that better coverage is achieved and high-quality data is collected. People must be assured that all individual data collected will be treated as strictly confidential and used exclusively for statistical purposes.
Census 2011 is set to provide the most comprehensive picture of the South African society and economy in the postapartheid era. It is designed to assist the ANC-led government to improve the lives of all our people, because every person in South Africa counts. South Africa, my home. South Africa, I know. The ANC supports Budget Vote 13. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, Statistics South Africa and the Statistician- General have experienced much pressure and criticism in the past for unreliable and inconsequent data, among others from me. This was not because the DA was just criticising the government as a principle, but because the implications of the work output from Stats SA is so very important in so many ways in our society. Good, reliable, credible and current statistics are of paramount importance.
Often the collection of data and the interpretation thereof into contextualised information that can be used to improve the livelihoods of all South Africans are perceived as boring and repetitive work with little intellectual challenge. The reality is that we require reliable and competent staff in the collection of data, as well as highly qualified technocrats to correctly interpret these into reliable data that can be used by all and sundry to interpret past performances and trends, and to project outcomes and trends in the future. We therefore require good quality, knowledgeable and highly trained staff who can assure that data is reliable, credible and applicable to daily decision-making.
Die beplande sensusopname waarvoor nou voorsiening gemaak word in hierdie begroting, is van kritiese belang. Die persepsie bestaan tans, ook by die komitee, dat verkeerde statistieke beskikbaar is as gevolg van onderwaardasie van getalle en dat verkeerde besluite dus geneem word. Besluite word nie net geneem op grond van die migrasie van inwoners oor 'n tydperk nie, maar ook ten opsigte van die toepasbaarheid daarvan in ons moderne samelewing. Dit is baie belangrik dat elke amptenaar en burger van Suid-Afrika in die proses saamwerk, sodat ons betroubare en werkbare statistiese data kan verkry.
Daar word tans jaarliks deur die Nasionale Tesourie 'n verdeling van inkomstes na provinsies gemaak, gegrond op die beskikbare sensusstatistieke, soos ook deur die Minister genoem. In die Wes-Kaap bestaan die persepsie dat daar baie meer mense binne die grense van die provinsie woonagtig is as wat in die laaste sensus weergegee word, en waardeur die Wes-Kaap dus minder as sy regmatige deel van die verdeling na provinsies ontvang.
Hierdie provinsie - die enigste een waar die Minister van Finansies nie fondse vir projekte oor infrastruktuur teruggetrek het nie - kan dus die regering verder help met dienslewering deur groter begrotingstoewysings te kry nadat Sensus 2011 die groter getal inwoners bevestig het. Dit sal die Wes-Kaap in die posisie plaas om meer volhoubare dienste aan meer mense te kan lewer. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[The planned census survey, which is currently being provided for in this budget, is of critical importance. At the moment the perception exists, also within the committee, that the statistics available are incorrect as a result of underestimating the figures, and wrong decisions are therefore taken. Decisions are not only being made on the basis of residents' migration over a period of time, but also in respect of its suitability within our modern society. It is very important for every official and every citizen of South Africa to work together during this process in order for us to obtain credible and workable statistical data.
Currently, National Treasury provides for the division of revenue among provinces annually based on the available census statistics, as the Minister has also mentioned. There is a perception in the Western Cape that many more people are residing within the borders of the province than were reflected in the previous census, thus causing the Western Cape to receive less than its rightful share of the division of revenue among provinces.
This province - the only one where the Minister of Finance did not withdraw funds for infrastructure-related projects - could therefore further assist government with service delivery by receiving increased budget allocations once Census 2011 has confirmed the greater number of residents. This will put the Western Cape in a position to be able to deliver more sustainable services to more people.]
Some of the important information from correct statistics that will have a profound impact on the management of our economy includes correct statistics on unemployment, specifically those that relate to the broader definition of unemployment. In this regard, credible information from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey and the Quarterly Employment Survey will be of critical importance. Also of crucial importance will be economic growth figures that will influence the Gross Domestic Product and Production Price Index results; the measuring of inflation and the correct content and balance of the Consumer Price Index basket regarding its relevance to the ever-changing society we live in; production figures and the state of affairs in the various strategic New Growth Path sectors like agriculture, manufacturing, the green economy, etc, and how these compare with our competitors; the performance of government in respect of the published strategic objectives and Millennium Development Goals; and levels of education, which is essential for a knowledge-based economic development programme.
Dit is belangrik dat die Sensus 2011 korrupsievry moet wees, nie net wat die insameling van data betref nie, maar ook wat die besteding van die begrote fondse betref. Die bestuur van die proses sal die geloofwaardigheid en bruikbaarheid van die inligting benvloed, waarop besluite in die toekoms geneem moet word.
Dit is veral belangrik dat betroubare data van die informele sektor verkry word, waar buitelanders onder die radarskerm werk en waar miljoene rande in omloop is. Tans is dit 'n verlies vir die Nasionale Tesourie.
Die komitee sal dus baie goeie oorsig moet uitoefen oor beide die proses sowel as die besteding van die enorme begroting. Ek dank u. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraphs follows.)
[It is important for Census 2011 to be free from corruption, not only with regard to collecting the data, but also with regard to spending the budgeted funds. The way in which the process is managed will influence the credibility and usefulness of the information upon which future decisions should be based.
It is especially important to obtain credible data from the informal sector, where foreigners are working under the radar and where millions of rands are being circulated. This is currently a loss to National Treasury.
The committee will therefore have to exercise very good oversight over both the process, as well as the spending of this enormous budget. I thank you.]
Hon Chair, I can see your timer is looking for Van Rooyen on the wrong side, but it is fine, we will sort that out. [Laughter.] Hon Minister, hon Chairs and Whips of our respective committees, officials and the leadership of Stats SA, as well as the Statistics Council, I salute you.
Hon Swart, you must listen very carefully. According to the Scripture, in Numbers, chapter 26, verse 2, when the Lord spoke to Moses on the eve of the war involving Israel, He emphasised the following: "Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from 20 years old and upward, throughout their fathers' house, all that are able to go to war in Israel". Let the house of the Lord say, Amen. [Laughter.]
HON MEMBERS: Amen!
This divine instruction, hon Swart and other members, clearly illustrates the historic importance of statistics and how crucial they are to win a war. Ours is not a war of spilling blood - I am just being careful about mentioning the word "war", because I might be hauled before the courts of the country for saying we should go to war. [Laughter.] The war I am referring to is one against social ills stemming from the evil apartheid system and other variables that are obstructing our much-deserved development. It is a war against poverty. Hence hon Minister, finalising the poverty line index is crucial.
This is a war against hunger, illiteracy, joblessness, disease and other related social ills. It is a war of numbers. We cannot win it if we do not know how many are affected and what the magnitude of the situation is. We must all agree that accurate numbers are a critical prerequisite for any successful war to be waged. If we want to win our war, we must perfect our population statistics.
As we march towards implementing one of our most important and ambitious programmes of job creation since the inception of the democratic order in 1994, we continue to face enormous risks in two critical areas: health and education. Determining just how big this risk is, and to what extent this will pose a threat to the achievement of this massive programme, is the function of Stats SA. It must assist us with information. They do so through one of their key programmes, population and social statistics.
As stated in the estimates of the National Expenditure 2011 document, the main objectives of this programme are to inform social and economic development planning, monitoring and decision-making by providing accurate, relevant and timely statistical information through the application of internationally recognised practices; and to publish regular information, as stated earlier, on the labour market, vital registrations, poverty levels, living conditions and service delivery, as well as population dynamics and demographic trends.
It provides health statistical information through the sub-programme on health, and vital statistics, which, according to their strategy, include publishing statistics of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, tourism and migration based on administrative records.
Reliable and accurate statistical information is particularly important in the area of health, as we have in the past few years implemented the most comprehensive health-care programmes dealing with HIV and Aids and other communicable diseases facing the country, and in the coming years, we will see the gradual implementation of the National Health Insurance.
Stats SA is an important capacity for our developmental state. As a knowledge organisation, it has the role of adding value in development. It helps in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as with the progress of our health policies. It should be able to support government planning with statistics and data on the implementation of the National Health Insurance, among others, as well as the magnitude and the extent of substance, alcohol and drug abuse in the country.
The production and provision of this data and statistics will contribute towards the successful implementation of our national programme priorities on health and the Millennium Development Goals. As we continue in our quest to improve the health status of our population, it is crucial that Stats SA consistently provides us with credible and reliable statistics and data on the reduction of child mortality, improvement in maternal health, and efforts to combat HIV and Aids, malaria and other diseases.
These goals are directly in line with our government priorities, outlined in our Medium-Term Strategic Framework of 2009-14, in particular to improve the nation's health profile, skills base and to ensure universal access to basic services. On this issue, I think we should credit Stats SA for the excellent national report that they produced in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, assessing the progress we have made in our implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
As the ruling party, the beloved ANC, we are particularly pleased with the role that Stats SA is playing in this area. We will support its plans. These are consistent with the priorities we have identified for this five- year electoral period based on the election manifesto. Our election manifesto has identified, inter alia, the introduction of the National Health Insurance system, as well as reviewing the existing drug policy and strategy, and investing in research and development in the health sector.
Planning for the implementation of these priorities requires masses of statistical data and research information that is accurate and reliable. Given the magnitude of the work involved in processing this kind of information, we recognise the importance of collaboration and partnerships. In this regard, we will encourage Stats SA to strengthen its programme of corporate relations. Hon Ambrosini, you must understand this spending pattern against the background of the importance of improving corporate relations because it takes all stakeholders to make the work of Stats SA meaningful and effective. I think the Stats SA programme on corporate relations must be strengthened in order to facilitate collaborative partnerships, both locally and internationally.
In addition, it is crucial that Stats SA establishes closer working relationships with key government departments such as Health, Social Development, Monitoring and Evaluation and other specialist institutions like the Human Science Research Council.
Hon Ambrosini, don't worry, I think I understand your situation. It is not unusual conduct for you to come here and be surprised when figures are given. Unfortunately, in most cases you are not part of committee deliberations. I hope we will improve your participation in committee deliberation so that you continue to add value in the process of assisting Stats SA to do its work.
Collaboration across all spheres will not only ensure cost sharing among partners but will also increase the reliability and credibility of information. As reported in one of our last sittings, we are urging Stats SA to expedite the process of implementing the South African Statistical Quality Assessment Framework.
By focusing on evaluation and monitoring, we believe collectively, as a committee, that this framework will engender the much-needed development of sector capacity on statistics generation and quality of the statistical information.
We particularly welcome the work being done to strengthen partnerships across the African continent. This will assist in the much-needed harmonisation of African statistics and promote development in our continent. As the ANC, we believe that the importance of Stats SA and its role in development, in particular in health, cannot be overemphasised.
Recent history shows us that in the absence of official statistics, government policy intentions will be in danger of distortions, as is the case with the current debate on the National Health Insurance system. This is very unfortunate. All manner of statistics have flooded the media, most of them being ideologically-driven and biased against its introduction. We hope that Stats SA will be the best statistical institution and better placed, through its high standards, to assist in demystifying statistics and provide tested quality assurance.
In complementing efforts meant to deal with the shortage of mathematics and statistical skill as a key challenge facing our country, we are urging our learners to choose this field as a career of choice. We are also calling on all South Africans, as a way of ensuring that counting is done in all households, to open their houses to Stats SA enumerators.
Bofang dint?a batho ba gaetsho le amogeleng babadi ba rona go tswa kwa Mokgatlong wa Dipalopalo wa Aforika Borwa. [Tie up your dogs and welcome our census people from Stats SA.]
It is also important to reiterate what was said by hon Adams, when she stated that political parties should take ownership of this process. It cannot be seen as a one-party thing. I am so content with the conduct of various political parties within the committee so far. We have shown - including you, hon Ambrosini - that this is not a party-political issue but a priority for the country. We have risen above our political differences and ensured that we speak in one voice as we deliberated on this particular process. We will continue to take ownership, even beyond the elections. It is important that as we preach and work around elections, we do not forget about encouraging our people to consider ... [Interjections.]
Chairperson, will the hon member take a question?
Hon member, will you take a question?
Mr D van ROOYEN: Chairperson, in our next committee meeting we will entertain that question. [Laughter.] Thank you, hon Swart, for giving me that title. I wonder if I would qualify to be a Reverend? [Laughter.]
We urge political parties to continue advocating the essential importance of statistics because this is central to the realisation of our developmental objectives. Even beyond elections, and irrespective of the outcome, let us continue to preach the gospel of the census and support enumerators when they go about doing the counting.
We are saying this because it is our belief that we are in this together. Let's ensure that we all count. We have come out clearly as MPs, saying to Mr Lehohla and his team that we are ready to hit the ground running. We have long called for ambassadorial packs to be given to MPs as a way of arming us, as we go about our work, to popularise the work of Stats SA. I once more urge you and your team to take advantage of the fact that we represent the broader constituency of our beloved country. You should use us good ambassadors for this strategic, important project.
I can even confess that we are not just saying that the chairperson should don the yellow suit but we as MPs are also prepared to don those suits. [Laughter.] We are going to paint South Africa yellow. We also want to express our sincere gratitude to your team on work well done hitherto. Once more, the ANC supports this Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, let me start with a word of appreciation to all political parties for their support of Vote 13. It's encouraging. Now we have to turn this into action.
I am also greatly encouraged by the commitment from both the committee chairperson and the hon Van Rooyen to undertake the wearing of the yellow suit on behalf of committee members. I should point out that the Statistician-General is wearing blue suede shoes today. [Laughter.] He says there are similar shoes available in the other colours of the flag: red, white, green and so on. [Laughter.] He says he has a couturier who can assist with these matters. So, the tailors are indeed in place.
I'd like to respond to some of the issues raised. I think what is very important is that we do not suggest that there is confusion about the role of Stats SA and the relations between it and various functions. I think best practice is that the statistical agency measures; it does not get involved in formulating policy. In fact, it does not even - it should not even - get involved in doing the analysis, because there is a likelihood that its judgment could be clouded.
At the exit interview of the former Head of Economic Statistics, Dr Cassim, who is now at the Reserve Bank, he explained that he is actually an economist by training and not an economic statistician as such, and that he would be more comfortable in an environment where there was more analysis. It is a very important distinction and I don't think we should, at this stage, ask that Stats SA gets involved in things that are not part of best practice. If we seek that kind of confusion, then we'll create contradictions where they should not exist. In fact, the report that the hon George referred to - the Stiglitz and Sen report - was about developing an index of happiness, so don't make yourself unnecessarily unhappy about this issue! [Laughter.]
On the issues of gaps and omissions, I think there is ongoing work and we will resolve these in the fullness of time.
Hon Koornhof referred to the experiences of some countries. This is important because even things like censuses have not gone down well in some countries. In Nigeria, because it's so important in the division of revenues, the census undertaking in 2009 was in fact jettisoned in the end. There have also been difficulties in China, partly because of urban migration issues. So I think we are in a position where we have to understand just how important it is that we ensure that we get the best possible outcome for Stats SA across the board.
In respect of the other point he raised about institutions, yes, there has already been contact with Agri SA and the Transvaal Agricultural Union, TAU. There will be contact with all manner of organisations, including bodies that represent bodies corporate, so that we can get a contact list and get into buildings. It is a large, unwieldy task, but it is work in progress.
On the issue of corporate relations, if the hon Oriani-Ambrosini had read the Estimates of National Expenditure and followed the work plan and the strategic plan, he would have seen that Corporate Relations is also responsible for all the communication of the outputs of statistical theory generally. Now, I have a concern, which we discussed again yesterday, and that is that the outputs of statistics agencies tend to be fairly turgid. It is our responsibility to bring people into a more dynamic presentation of the outcomes. So, if you want that, you have got to communicate better. If you want to communicate better, then you have to spend on corporate relations. So all of the dissemination and all of the provincial offices are part of that.
[Inaudible.]
Go and read the documents. Go and read the documents and you will see that this is not about parties and stuff. It's actually about a series of core functions within the organisation of Stats SA.
The hon Oriani-Ambrosini also called for devolution to municipalities. Now, I know that, ideologically, he is very attached to devolution but I want to caution him against that kind of ideology, partly because you will not be able to do this adequately. There is work in progress with the Department of Home Affairs, where core functions, such as the registration of birth - core input into the Population Register - is now being collected at a number of hospitals already. That work will continue. It will be evolved organically as institutions are ready to do it. We must not go back to the past, where some local induna is deciding on whether somebody should be buried and so on and there is actually no synthesis of the Population Register. We must not go back there again. I think we would all concur that, across the board, municipalities have different capacities. So, let's not impose further obligations where they can't even comply with the obligations than already obtain.
Hon Adams deserves to be teased after her hard work. She said, "you count" but, Ma'am, you counted incorrectly: this is going to be only our third census, not our fourth!
Hon Marais raised important issues about both migration and immigration. Regarding the migration issues, you know, demography is only one part of the equitable distribution, but these claims need to be backed up. If the claims are as strong as you say they are, then I would say to you, Sir, that the DA would not stand a dog's chance in the Western Cape. We would wipe the floor with you, if the claims are as strong as you say they are. So watch your words; they might come back to bite you. [Laughter.]
The question of immigration is clearly one of the most intractable difficulties that confronts us in a census like this. People are unrecorded because they don't draw a distinction between Stats SA actually discovering them and talking to them, and Home Affairs or the police coming to get them. This is one of the biggest difficulties. In some communities, some of the newly arrived immigrants are actually in very strong positions and have the ability to persuade as well. We put that on the table as one of the challenges before us.
Hon Van Rooyen spoke about war. They say, hon Van Rooyen, that in war, one of the first victims is always the truth. Now I want to take issue with the DA. When I spoke in this very room about statistics and the MDGs, then Madame Merci Beaucoup, no, Mazibuko - I'm a bit confused because of the accent ... [Laughter.] ... made some outrageous comments about the MDGs. They are untrue. They are trying to politicise statistics in the country. These are the kinds of things that create distortions and they must desist from it, failing which we will take statistics and turn them into nonsense.
Finally, in the context of the plea for ambassadors, let me say ...
... Ngihlaba umkhosi kinina nisisize ukubala umphakathi waseNingizimu Afrika ngenkululeko. Ngiyabonga. [... I am calling on everyone to assist us to conduct the census freely in South Africa.]
Debate concluded.