Work Programme - Statistics South Africa

citizens. It is through a plan that modern states perform and demonstrate change. South Africa has
interventions, and measure impact. A National Planning Commission has been created and the
Department of Performance Monitoring and Evaluation has also been established. The Statistics
Act (Act No. 6 of 1999) anticipated such an eventuality and in its content prescribes coordination
of the production of evidence for planning and evaluation.
The 2010/11–2014/15 Strategic Plan of Statistics South Africa that was approved by both Minister
path. The strategy outlines a set of clear programmes that will be implemented to address this
in a leadership position as prescribed by section 14 of the Statistics Act (Act No. 6 of 1999).
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The strategy articulates how the plan will be executed. Firstly, it recognises the crucial role of
of the census, as this invariably creates the necessary footprint for durable production of statistics
relevant particularly to Integrated Development Plans, (IDPs). This footprint has now been created.
of the 2008 System of National Accounts. A modern state cannot survive without a modern
the strategy proposes the mastery of all sides of the national account and this will include the
expenditure side. Thirdly, the strategy aims at implementing section 14 of the Statistics Act
coordination. Fourthly, the strategy focuses on succession planning in order to guarantee durable
leadership and dependable machinery for future generations. Fifthly, the strategy addresses training
and talks to the establishment of the ISIbalo Institute and recognises the initiatives that are already
in place such as the Centre for Regional and Urban Innovation and Statistical Exploration. Finally,
This is what we are ready to deliver. Whilst the strategy is not funded for the MTEF period, we have
secured the basic elements for the next six to twelve months in the belief that the strategy will be
fully funded soon, as failure to do so will create conditions of which the results will be too ghastly
to contemplate. This is why we have secured the basic tenets of the strategy.
I owe my sincere gratitude to Minister Trevor Manuel, who consistently provided the necessary
leadership, the Chairperson of the Statistics Council, Mr Howard Gabriels with whom I spent an
inordinate amount of time engaging statistical development in South Africa and Africa, the Audit
Committee Chairperson, Ms René van Wyk, who has provided strategic input and direction in
the governance of the work we do, the staff members of Statistics South Africa, the users of
statistics, and indeed the public of the Republic who oblige year in and year out to provide this
important information.