Hon Chairperson; Hon Minister; the storyteller, the Statistician-General; the Chief Whip of the Majority Party, Mr Ntate Mathole Motshega - the numbers are important, but it is not money today; hon members, fellow South Africans, the noble duty of a population census is not just a collated pool of data on the demographic, social and economic aspects of a country's population. It is a statistical narrative. For us it is a story of our people, of our nation. It is a patriotic story of self- introspection, deep self-scrutiny and connection with who we are. It may not offer us what we need or tell us what we want to hear, but we must allow this story to be told - the story to remind us of our past, reveal the present - so we can learn and make provision for tomorrow.
The key questions are: What do we do about who we are? That is what statistics census outcomes tell us. What do we do about our story? How do our actions contribute to the net result of who we are as a nation? What do we do to bring the best out of our story?
The story we are telling today is a story of bringing equality and quality life back to the historically marginalised black people in general, and Africans in particular. It is a concerted effort by all South Africans to restore the quality of life through statistics, and in turn, regenerating life into statistics, and life into our story. This, compatriots, is a journey traversed over a period of 19 years by the Statistics Council, Statistics SA and the Statistician-General under the stewardship and guidance of the ANC-led government, without compromising its independence.
On 22 August 2011 President Jacob Zuma called on us to open our doors and our hearts to the thousands of enumerators who would be undertaking the census. When the President made this call he knew that he was addressing patriots and citizens who have contracted to work together with their government to address the challenges facing our own country. You did not fail the country and the President of the Republic. You obliged, and for that we wish to thank you most sincerely. [Applause.]
Today we can safely proclaim without fear of contradicting ourselves that the South Africa we live in is the country we know and the home we understand. Therefore, the Census 2011 outcomes are credible and reliable statistical information or data for planning, implementation, co- ordination, monitoring and evaluation of government policies at all levels of our departments, whether national, provincial or local, which is, in reality, the aim of the census.
The success or failure of government interventions aimed at improving and changing the social and economic conditions of the existence of our people, the poor and unemployed, wherever they may reside and whatever challenges they face, will be measured by the progress we make in addressing the levels of inequalities in income, based on race and gender, poverty, and unemployment, particularly amongst the young people.
The Census 2011 outcomes provide us with accurate statistical information and data so that, as a nation, we are better informed and understand the challenges our country still faces. Not only do we need to know our numbers nationally, but we need to know these at the level of every village, suburb, farm, ward, municipality and province.
The Chinese say you must measure seven times before you cut the cloth. It is in knowing the size and magnitude of our problems that we are empowered to address them. If you know it, you can measure it. Together, in unity of purpose, we can appreciate the need to align all our efforts to support and realise the objectives of our National Development Plan.
On 22 August 2011, marking the 50-day countdown towards the census, President Zuma said, and I quote:
We need to know where the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the employed and the unemployed, the learners, the educated and the uneducated live, work and play. The information collected will help government to plan for the future. We must obtain answers to questions such as: What must the South Africa of tomorrow look like?
He went on to say, and I quote:
How many schools are we going to have to build to ensure quality education for all children? How many hospitals or clinics do we need for our sick and the infirm? How much food must we produce now and in the future to eradicate hunger?
Regarding our historical perspective, I want to say that we cannot fight for a better past, so we will lament on it no longer than we should. However, on an occasion like this, it is important to acknowledge where we come from and the progress we have made thus far.
Statistics in the past were used to advance or deny an individual's basic human entitlements such as education, health, safety, housing, economic participation and basic services such as water, electricity, sanitation. This list is endless.
Census 1996 and its outcomes were really the beginning of reconstructing a statistical base for all South Africans by a democratic government. It was indeed a writing-back or response by the people of South Africa to reverse the socioeconomic conditions visited upon the majority of our people by colonial and apartheid rule, so that a correct perspective, not stunned by ineptitude or distracted by racial power, could remain the basis upon which new priorities of a democratic government could be determined, and upon which the Reconstruction and Development Programme could be realised to save our fledgling new nation and democracy. It was a consolidation and amalgamation of five different statistical administrations to harmonise the population census results of 1970, 1980, 1985 and 1991 from four Bantustans and one Republic of South Africa.
It is important to remind ourselves that not only did we inherit this fragmented and corrupted statistical data, but the method used was also different, thus variables used to construct the census outcome for 1970, 1980, 1985 to 1991 were racially based.
The enumeration of the above population census was based on four different measures. That is to say, for the black population only five variables were applied in terms of race, sex, age, marital status and probably employment, and for white South Africans almost all of the 20 variables were used to measure their livelihood.
Today, we can pride ourselves, without fighting for a better past, as a nation that we have a credible and independent statutory body, free of any political manipulation and interference, with depth and resilience. [Applause.] This statutory body has managed to expand its social statistics about society to include other variables that were not there in terms of race. It uses over 20 variables as a measure for all races. It produces quarterly labour surveys which detail employment and employment figures per sector.
Chinua Achebe in his book titled, There was a Country, observed, and I quote:
The denial of merit is a form of social injustice that can hurt not only the individual directly concerned, but the entire society.
And he further said in the same book, and I quote:
Every generation must recognise and embrace the task it is peculiarly designed by history and providence to perform.
President Zuma and his administration have defined a peculiar task for our generation. The National Development Plan, NDP, serves as our common medium to long-term vision around which common programmes of action must ensue. In a sense, the plan enjoins all South Africans to act and unite in purpose in and within our diverse cultures, to fight the culture of poverty and inequalities, irrespective of our social standing or political affiliation.
The NDP provides a new platform and a moral obligation for the rich and powerful to forge alliances with the powerless and the most vulnerable to act in concert. It is here that I now wish to illustrate the achievements of Statistics SA under very difficult, complex and corrupted information from the past administration. These achievements were not without major historical disruptions, as can be said about the 1970 census.
As we walk through our achievements, we can proudly report as follows.
On basic services, in 1996 housing provision was at 65% and by 2011, not the latest, we were at 77%.
In 1996, in terms of piped water, we were standing at 60,8% and today we are at 73%.
In 1996, in terms of electricity, we were standing at 58% and today we are at 84%. These are the statistics. If there is anyone who says that the ANC government has not moved forward, then that person must give me what he or she smokes, so that I can be in the same spirit.
In education, under the policies of the ANC, we have seen an adequate decrease in the proportion of the population with no formal education. In 1996, within two years of the ANC government, there were 4 million people of 20 years and older who had no schooling. In 2011 the ANC government had reduced the number to 2,6 million. This represents a significant shift from 19%. Now we know why some among us want to cast doubts on Statistics SA. We need to advance our people. We need to ensure that the South Africa that we know, the home we understand, is capable of building a capable state through skills.
A steady downward trend is also noticeable in the number of informal dwellings and the use of the bucket system. Here I want to make an illustration in terms of the statistics.
The numbers of informal dwellings per province, expressed as a percentage of the total number of dwellings available, are as follows: In 1996 the figure in Gauteng was 23,4%, and today it has reduced to 21,2%; in 1996 the Western Cape it was 16,7% and today it is 18%. I am sure the majority of the people with this problem live in Nyanga and Gugulethu. These are Africans and people of African origin. They are the descendants of the forefathers and forebearers of our democracy and liberation.
From the figures cited above it is evident that South Africa is making a significant dent towards the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals which were adopted by the heads of state in 2000. In this regard, the use of statistics generated by Statistics SA is indispensable for the purposes of monitoring and measuring our progress.
Let me also reflect on the International best practice vis--vis Statistics SA. It is important to note the significant progress Statistics SA has made in playing its role on the continent. The integration of our economies, exchange of cultural knowledge, tourism and the movement of goods and services are all about people. We have to understand the national account of the countries we are trading with, as Africa is growing at 6% globally. It is important to contribute to the stabilisation of their economies. I must say that Statistics SA, on behalf of the people of South Africa, has done extremely well in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Sudan and in Angola.
Statistician-General, we want to say, keep up the good work in your team. This is a very good contribution in making sure that we, as South Africa, do not only lead in words, but we lead in practice on the continent.
It is my honour and privilege to support, on behalf of the ANC, Vote No 13, as presented by the Minister in the Presidency. I thank you. [Applause.]