Phakisa (Hurry up in Sotho) was the Minister in the Presidency, the honourable Jeff Radebe’s message to those gathered at the Statistical Symposium to address the strengthening of the South African National Statistical System (SANSS).

After a rousing welcome from the Stats SA choir, joined by the SG, the Minister addressed the meeting, which included current and past heads of a number of statistical offices from across the globe, as well as continental and national stakeholders. The minister referred to the fact that, while the framework for the implementation of a national statistics system (NSS) was adopted by cabinet in 2001, implementation has been very slow. The session today was described as a watershed moment in the quest to deliver a better life for all in South Africa.

The minister reminded those present that statistics are about people, places and possibilities; it is about evidence and how this evidence can be used to transform the lives of all South Africans for the better. He emphasised that while everyone is entitled to their opinion, scientific fact is what is needed to ensure that the future is in capable hands.

The National Development Plan asked for and depended on a raft of statistical data for its formulation.  It requires a raft of data for its monitoring and evaluation.  Statistics is therefore central to it. To quench this thirst for data the SANSS needs to be implemented as a matter of urgency.

The purpose of the symposium has is to gain insight into the experiences and best practices regarding the architecture and the coordination of the National Statistics System that yields effective National Strategies for the Development of Statistics (NSDS). The experts from other countries and organisations will contribute to shaping and advancing South Africa’s practice faster and better and assisting in our understanding how practice can be entrenched through legislation.

The experiences, successes and failures of other countries will assist South Africa as, in learning from these the horizon of implementation can be shortened and save the country from costly mistakes, be it by omission or commission. South Africa’s divided past has made coordination mechanisms very complex and difficult despite the existence of statistical legislation which supports this.

The demand for official statistics in South Africa has been on an increase in the last twenty years of democracy. Organs of state and the broader South African democratic society need official statistics to discharge their respective mandates. Strengthening the SANSS to support evidence based decision making, policy development and the monitoring and evaluation of impact of decisions, policies and strategies is critical to ensuring that the country can truly create a better life for all.

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