The Portfolio Committee on Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation expressed concerns on Friday about financial constraints and vacancies at Statistics South Africa (SA), which hampers its effectiveness as the national statistical agency.
The committee was briefed by StatsSA, Brand South Africa (BrandSA) and the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) on their annual performance and strategic plans. Regarding vacancy rates, the committee was concerned that they impact the quality and timeliness of statistical products, as well as the agency’s ability to retain skilled personnel. Statistician-General Mr Risenga Maluleke told the committee that there are over 720 positions, and this affects StatsSA’s ability to perform its core functions and its capacity to meet data needs for policy-making. The committee urged StatsSA to develop a strategy for retaining skilled workers and to explore partnerships to enhance data collection and statistical capabilities.
The committee also questioned if StatsSA’s infrastructure is fit for purpose to meet the demands of a technologically evolving world. The Chairperson of the committee, Ms Teliswa Mgweba, noted that the ICT systems are outdated and urged the entity to invest more in modernising its systems. She said modernising ICT infrastructure is crucial for maintaining data integrity and improving operational efficiency.
Following the DPME presentation, members emphasised the need to align the Medium-Term Development Plan with departmental budgets while improving capacity to address implementation challenges. The Director-General of the department, Dr Themba Mhlongo, acknowledged the necessity for stronger legislative frameworks to empower the department and ensure compliance from other entities.
Meanwhile, the committee urged BrandSA to refine its performance indicators and targets so that the impact of its nation-branding is more quantifiable and effective. Acknowledging this, BrandSA vowed to refine its performance framework to showcase the entity’s impact better.
The committee also raised concerns about BrandSA’s agility, particularly in its response to changes in socio-economic contexts, emphasising the need for partnerships and collaboration to address the evolving needs of all people in South Africa. Members were particularly interested in how BrandSA collaborates with other government entities, such as Government Communication Information Systems (GCIS) and the Department of Trade and Industry, to improve its nation-branding efforts and the strategies in place to counter negative perceptions of South Africa around the world.
The committee emphasised the importance of collaboration to ensure that the department and its entities support the country’s development agenda. The committee’s inputs and recommendations will now be consolidated into the Budget Review and Recommendations Report that will inform the upcoming budget vote debates.
