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Acting MEC for Education, Mrs Nontobeko Vilakazi
Senior Management of the Department
Member of the public tuned in through the various platforms
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen

I stand here today with mixed emotions as we are about to launch this online system. I feel greatly honoured and happy to launch this online system as per our commitment. Sad in a sense that the late MEC Jack is not here to share this milestone achievement with us and knowing how passionate he was about improving our Education system. Such an improvement starts with making our application system as smooth and effortless as possible. We do this launch in his honour and as a tribute to his memory.

As this new Administration we articulated a vision of building a Modern, Growing and Successful Province. Modern is a province that keeps pace with technology and it’s at the cutting edge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). I also made the undertaking that there will be two immediate and important focus areas for this Administration, mainly in the areas of health and education, as these two Departments take up the bulk of the Provincial budget. These will be the critical areas of this government where we need to make changes and turn the situation around for the benefit of the people of the Province in general and the youth in particular. Today we are here to set the Department on a new growth and development path and I want to commend the Department of Education for moving with speed in implementing one of our 2019 SOPA commitments – to create an online application system for our learners.

Since we made that commitment, a coordinating structure was put in place led by the late MEC himself that conducted various fact finding visits to other provinces that had already implemented such a system. The launch today of this online admission system is not only at the centre of creating an admission system that will be without glitches but it also sets the tone and adds to our vision of creating that a government that keeps pace with technology. This initiative also ties in with the Department of Education’s re-aligned strategic focus, which is, "Building the Elements of Capacity for Momentum towards a Modern, Growing and Successful Education System in the Northern Cape”.

The launch of this system comes at an opportune time, when we as Government observe Public Service Month, which is held every September to promote a culture of pride and ethics in the public service and improvements in all facets of service delivery. It’s the public service ethics that should guide our conduct not to steal and loot what is meant for the people. We must fight corruption and looting in all its manifestations. In just less than a year we saved this administration millions because of concerted efforts to stop wastage. The people who have been benefiting from this wastage and corruption are cornered and are on a push back using lies and a gullible journalist to attack us. Not a single one of us shall be deterred and threatened through lies and slander. Now we shall intensify this justified fight against plunder and looting of public resources.

This system forms the basis for the provision of services to all communities with dignity and parents don’t have to spend nights queuing to get their children registered at a school. We are pleased to announce that the online admission system eliminates possible delays of over a 1000 applications per year. This implies not only a dignified service but also an efficient system and for that we reassure our society that we are a government that cares about your dignity.

Last week I had the opportunity to motivate the Grade 12 learners at a camp in Van Der Kloof Resort where I reminded the learners that education is the greatest equalizer in society. This implies that if we are to realise the objectives of a Modern, Growing and Successful Province, we must create an accessible education system.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are particularly mindful of the fact that our communities do not all have the same access to internet and related service. As a response to this challenge, we have in the interim directed that there must be walk in centres where parents will be assisted. Currently there are 199 walk in centres across all 5 Districts in the Province.

Allow me to also remind parents that the system also requires some cooperation from their side. In this regard, there is a circular which has been issued by the Department of Education and a copy of this Circular is available at all schools. We want to make an appeal to parents to take note that the success of your application will be determined by the following criteria:

1. Applicants being the learners that already have a sibling attending the school of application (sibling means a learner who has at least one parent who is also the parent of the learner already attending that school and he or she resides in the same household as that child already attending the school);
2. If the learners have a parent/ guardian working (an employee) at the school applied to;
3. If the place of residence of the applicant is in the same suburb with the school applied to;
4. If the place of residence (residential suburb) of the applicant learner(s) is adjacent (immediately next to) to the suburbs of the school applied to;
5. If spaces remain after all the above-mentioned applicants have been admitted; other applicants in the order of the position will be considered.

It is important for parents to make an effort to understand the admission criteria before the system officially opens on the 14th of September 2020 in order to avoid unnecessary appeals and delays on the system at the beginning of the year. I must highlight that the delays and the appeals have a tendency to be disruptive on the ability of the schools to effect learning and teaching on the first day of schooling.

For communities that do not have access to digital media, the Department will be distributing information sheets giving details of the online admission system at all 199 identified walk-in centres. Parents can also obtain all the relevant information regarding the Online Admission System from their nearest school.

Ladies and gentlemen, we will now have a physical demonstration of the system so that we can all see how easy the application can be done.

The system does require some basic information to be provided and parents who opt for the walk-in system must always remember the required documents, which will be detailed by the officials later. This is important to avoid being sent home because of incomplete information.

The Northern Cape Department of Education will be going online with the 2021 learner admissions from 14-30 September 2020 for all Grades. Parents must log on to the Northern Cape Department of Education’s Online Learner Admissions website at www.ncdoeadmissions.org to complete the application process which is made up of 3 steps, (1) Parent/ guardian registration (2) Learner profiling and (3) Application.

As we launch this system today, our core message to the people of this Province is to work with us to make the vision of a modern, growing and successful Province a reality. The Northern Cape of today cannot be the same in five and ten years from now. We therefore call on communities and businesses to work with the Department of Education to make this system as success.

Thank you
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Programme Director
Speaker of the Northern Cape Provincial Legislature, Ms Newrene Klaaste
Members of the Executive Council
Executive Mayors
Deputy Director General for South African National Statistics Systems, Ms Yandiswa Mpetsheni
Senior Government officials
Members of the Media
Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to receive the Northern Cape Census 2022 report on behalf of the Northern Cape Province. The Census 2022 report that we are receiving today is the fourth Census of our post-Apartheid Democratic dispensation with the other three being conducted in 1996, 2001 and 2011. Impressive about this Census is its uniqueness because it is the first digital Census undertaken in the country.

We welcome the province’s Census 2022 Report which depicts an 18, 3% increase of the population from 1, 1 million in 2011 to 1, 4 million in 2022. This now means that the Province has grown by more than 200,000 people and contributes 2, 2% towards the national population which stands at 62 million.

According to the latest statistics, the Northern Cape Province is the least populated in the country.

The Census 2022 results should prove to be very useful for planning as it will illuminate many of the effects of the COVID pandemic and should inform our journey to 2030 and our long-term plan, namely the Provincial Growth and Development Plan (PGDP) and the Provincial Spatial Development Framework (PDSF). It will also prove to be a useful tool in informing the District Development Model (DDM) One Plan as we move forward to create better lives for our people in all the corners of this beautiful Province.

It is important to note that the Census tells us a lot about our most valued asset namely our people, in other words, population development.

The Census 2022 is also an important tool to assist with understanding the current trajectory in our Province. It also assists in determining the professionalism of the state; of state capacity; and the effectiveness and efficiency of state institutions and systems.

To improve our Service Delivery all spheres of government must adopt an evidence-based approach. Local government needs to engage with statisticians and researchers when planning and developing policies. Statistics, including the qualitative analysis thereof, alone is not enough to inform Provincial Priorities and our plans. We need design thinking and systems design in the area of planning for implementation and evaluation. We need to bridge the gap between knowledge production (researchers) and knowledge consumption (planners).

Programme Director, although we note positive growth patterns in the population, unfortunately, we do not stand to benefit immediately from the national fiscus. For the 2024/25 financial year, the National Treasury still used the 2022 mid-year estimates data in determining these figures and not the latest census data and therefore the real impact of the growth in population in respect of the data census will only be calibrated in the next financial year for the 2025/26 financial year.

Ladies and gentlemen, when we started this Sixth Administration we articulated a vision for our Province as, “Building a Modern, Growing and Successful Province.” We defined a Modern, Growing and Successful Province amongst others; as being at the cutting edge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and one that prioritises quality education, training and retraining of the youth.  We are therefore greatly pleased that the results show a positive trajectory in several key indicators including education where the total number of population aged 20+ with no schooling declined. Furthermore, it is important to note that 43,3% of children aged 0-4 have access to our Early Childhood Development Programme and are reported to be attending some sort of Educare Centre(ECD) facilities around the  Province. With persons aged 5 - 24 years attending school also show a magnificent increase by 6, 1% from 64, 2% to 70, 3% in 2022. This shows good progress as the Province is changing the narrative when it comes to education and is showing commitment to providing sustained investment in education. We do however still make a plea to parents to enrol their children in an Early Childhood Development Centre before school age to give your child a head start in life.

Worth noting is that households with no access to the internet decreased sharply from 74% in 2011 to 29% in 2022 and this augurs well for our plans to modernise the Province. As we move towards the 5th Industrial Revolution it is said that ‘Data is the new Oil’.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is also pleasing that there has been significant improvement in the provision of basic services, with more than 80% of households reported to have access to electricity in 2022. The proportion of households in the Northern Cape using electricity as the main source of energy for lighting increased from 85% in 2011 to 93% in 2022.

As Government, we are hard at work to ensure that our communities have access to basic services. This includes ensuring that the majority of our communities in the Province have access to clean water and we are hard at work to improve water interruptions. We are aware of challenges about water provision in some of our municipalities but can assure you that together with the Department of Water and Sanitation we have plans in place to deal with these challenges. Notwithstanding

Noteworthy is the fact that 73, 0% of households have access to a flush toilet, which makes it 2% above the national average, an increase from the 66% reported in Census 2011.

In census 2022, there were 82% households with onsite access to piped water (either inside the dwelling or yard), which means that 55% of the households had access to water in their dwelling and 27% of households had access to piped water in their yards.

The majority of households (86%) resided in formal dwellings in 2022.

Increased access to water, electricity, sanitation and decent housing are evident of the fact that there have been definite improvements in the quality of life of our people in the Northern Cape and points towards a government that is truly improving the lives of each and every citizen of this province. These improved service delivery statistics also finds expression in the positive and improved PFMA audit outcomes recently released by the Auditor General during her audit roadshow. There is no doubt that this democratic dispensation is on a positive trajectory in changing the lives of our people.

As we receive this report today, I want to give every citizen of this Province the reassurance that we remain committed as this Provincial Government to steer the Northern Cape towards a Modern, Growing and Successful Province that will continue to improve livelihoods with evidence-based decision-making using official data as the leading pillar to this stance.

As we forge ahead; the lessons from the Census 2022 data will be our guiding light, improving the Government’s performance through coordination, strategic leadership, and integrated planning and monitoring and evaluation. Our agenda is clear; to improve the living conditions of the people in the Northern Cape, improve infrastructure, boost tourism and investments, and break the shackles of poverty, inequality, and inadequate service delivery.

As we dissect this data in the coming months, our government is committed to devising holistic strategies that not only respond to immediate needs but lay the groundwork for long-term sustainable growth.

Allow me also to thank the citizens of this Province for participating in the Census because, without your contributions, this would not have been possible. Our gratitude is also extended to the data collectors and statisticians.

Thank you

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MEC for Education, Mr Zolile Monakali
Acting Head of Department, Mr Sandile Beuzana
Senior Managers of the Department
Members of the public tuned in through the various platforms
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen

We have deemed it necessary to convene this media briefing to declare that the Northern Cape Department of Education is ready to administer the 2020 National Senior Certificate Examinations. As of now it’s all systems go.

Last year, the Northern Cape achieved a pass rate of 76, 5%, an increase of 3, 2% from 73, 3 % in 2019. The Class of 2020 has an enormous task ahead of them, to ensure that they further improve on last year’s pass percentage and surpass the national average of 81%.

Support to the Class of 2020

It goes without saying that this year was a very difficult and abnormal school year as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lock-down has disrupted the lives of learners in different ways, not only on a personal level, but also the extent to which they have completed the curriculum.

The Department of Education has had various interventions with the sole aim of ensuring that our schools and learners get the maximum support with a strong emphasis on progressed and borderline learners.

Amongst those interventions were the following programmes:

• Curriculum Roadshow and Subject Clinics;
• Radio Broadcasts of lessons, Whatsapp groups, Online and Offline Content Applications and  Woza TV Broadcasts,
• Saturday classes, Weekend Lock-In Sessions and Psycho-social support;
• Differentiated Content Support by Subject Advisors for problematic and high enrolment subjects;
• Provisioning of Additional Learning Support Material; and
• Extended Spring Schools for approximately 8000 learners.

The state of readiness for the 2020 NSC examination

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted on our June mid-year examination which could not sit. As a result, all candidates will be accommodated in the final year-end 2020 National Senior Certificate Examination. The Department revised and strengthened the COVID-19 protocols that will apply to all examination processes. Strict compliance with COVID-19 regulations and guidelines is therefore guaranteed at all examination and marking centres.

In as far as further State of Readiness is concerned; allow me to put the following 8 key points forward:

1. The conduct of the examination
   The examination for all candidates will commence on 5 November 2020 (English) and conclude on 15 December 2020 (Visual Arts and Agricultural Management Practices). 
2. Registration of examination centres
   All exam centres have been audited by provincial and district officials, based on a national instrument. The Northern Cape has registered 177 National Senior Certificate examination writing centres.
3. Registration of candidates
   The 2020 National Senior Certificate registration has been completed. We have registered a total of 23 928 candidates, of which 12 049 are 2020 NSC full time candidates, 4 528 candidates include the 2019 National Senior Certificate Multiple Examination Opportunity candidates completing their matric; candidates who could not sit for the 2019 NSC due to valid reasons such as ill health and those who are improving subjects. The total number of part time and Senior Certificate candidates are 7 351.
   It should be noted that for this exam no candidate will have the option to make use of the Multiple Examination Opportunity. This simply means that all candidates will sit for all their subjects during the 2020 National Senior Certificate Examinations.
   If a candidate is unable to write all their subjects due to illness, COVID-19 infection or any other reason, they will be able to write those subject/s during next year’s May/June mid-year examinations. It also means, that their results will not form part of the final 2020 NSC Examination results. The same applies to the results of part-time and Senior Certificate candidates, which will not form part of the overall NSC results of 2020.
4. Integrity management
   The Province leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that examination irregularities are prevented especially acts of dishonesty and possession of unauthorised electronic devices like cell phones.  A total of 150 Chief Invigilators were appointed and trained to strengthen our efforts to eradicate examination irregularities for the 2020 NSC examination.
5. Printing, packaging and distribution
   All 125 papers are set by Department of Basic Education panels. Packing, boxing and distribution of question papers are done per district, per school, per paper. Security measures are brought in to track each and every question paper printed.
   The Province is confident that all candidates will receive question papers on time, on the day of writing.
6. Selection of markers
   A thorough process was conducted to ensure that quality marking of answer scripts will take place. The required marker personnel were appointed as follows:
   • 1052 Markers
   • 217 Senior Markers
   • 97 Chief Markers
   • 28 Deputy Markers
   • 97 Internal Moderators
   • 3 Data Capturing Supervisors
   • 4 Centre Managers
   • 8 Deputy Centre Managers
   • 200 Examination Assistants
7. Commencement and completion of marking
   We have increased the marking centres to 4 centres to make provision for 1 691 marking personnel and to comply with Covd-19 protocols. The marking centres will open on 4 January 2020 and answer scripts and question papers will be delivered to marking centres. The capturing of marks will take place up to the 14th of January 2020.
8. Release of results
   The National Minister of Basic Education will have a press conference on the 22nd of February 2021 to release the national results.
   The Northern Cape will release our provincial results on 23rd of February 2021, which will be followed by the Matric Awards.

Conclusion
We are confident that the Department of Education with the full support of the Provincial Government has during these extremely trying times, done our level best to equip each and every willing candidate to sit down for what could well be the most important examination they will ever write.

It is also important to understand that the matric examinations not only impacts on the registered candidates, but is a partnership between Government, the parents, family and the community as a whole. This partnership spanned over 12 years and we have reached the last chapter of their schooling career. Now they will sit alone for the examinations, but they will do so with our full support and well wishes.

We call on parents and family to give the class of 2020 all the support, guidance and patience they need to transition from school to adulthood.

We call upon the class of 2020 to conduct themselves ethically and professionally when they sit for their exams. They have signed an oath to do so and we trust they will uphold this oath and pledge.

We are confident that the Class of 2020 will do the Northern Cape proud.

I thank you.

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Members of the media

The resignation of the MEC for Social Development, and MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture, Ms Bernice Sinxeve spurred the cabinet reshuffling I’m about to announce.

I wish to thank them for their service to the people of the Northern Cape in the portfolios that they served in the Executive, for the diligent manner in which they conducted their assignment and for being disciplined members of the Executive.

Before I continue with announcing changes to the Executive, I want to reflect briefly on our Covid-19 response. We are still the Province with the lowest number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. Since we last met however, things have since taken a drastic change and we have seen an increase in the number of positive cases. As at yesterday, the number of confirmed positive cases stands at 318, which accounts for 0.3% of the active cases in the country. The total number of recoveries is 112 and one death. As at 19 June we have also had a total of 22 healthcare workers in the Province being infected with Covid-19 and to date 13 have recovered.

Mass screenings, active case finding and contact tracing remains key to the prevention of rapid infections. The tracing rate among identified contacts is almost 100%, with only two contacts that could not be traced in March among the first cases, but tracing has since improved with all effort being employed to trace every close contact.

This success in tracing has been one of the critical interventions in halting the spread of Covid-19 that could have resulted in larger community outbreaks. To this end more than 1.7 million screenings have been conducted and 21 564 tests have been done in the Province.

In our Province the Sol Plaatje Municipality is considered to be a High Risk area with a total number of 68 cases and Umsobomvu Municipality extremely High risk with a total of 76 cases. We call on everyone to abide by the Covid-19 protocols and minimise movement, especially inter-provincially and wear face masks at all times.

With the opening of our schools, we have also seen a spike in infections which has resulted in the 6 schools being closed thus far due to Covid-19 infections. These schools are mainly located within the Pixley Ka Seme District, where mass testing is currently underway by the Department of Health.

We are monitoring the situation very closely and ensuring that all systems are in place at schools. Although 6 schools have been affected thus far, we must indicate that it is not a breakout of COVID-19 infections, but rather individual cases that were reported. The closures of these schools are in relation to our Standard Operating Procedures. Some of the schools that have received the results of their contact traces, which came back negative and therefore the Department of Education is preparing for these schools to reopen. Once a positive case is reported, the Department immediately disinfects the school. We will further determine whether staff or learners at the affected schools will require psycho-social support and assist in this regard.

We wish to encourage all our school communities, especially our educators, parents and learners to continue to practice good hygiene and social distancing at home, whilst always wearing your mask. This will contribute significantly to limit the spread of COVID-19 or contracting the virus. During this difficult period, it is expected of all South Africans to act responsibly and adhere to the COVID-19 regulations and guidelines.

Let me return to the business of today.

The changes to the Provincial Executive Council will come into effect immediately and are as follows:

• MEC for Health: Mr Maruping Lekwene
• MEC for Public Works: Ms Fufe Makatong
• MEC for Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and Environmental Affairs and Nature Conservtion: Ms Mase Manopole
• MEC for Sport, Arts and Culture: Ms Desiree Lorenda Finies
• MEC for Transport, Safety and Liaison: Ms Nomandla Bloem
• MEC for Social Development: Ms Nontobeko Vilakazi
• MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism: Mr Abraham Vosloo

The MEC for Education, Mr Macollen Jack and the MEC for COGHSTA Mr Bentley Vass will remain in their current portfolios. It is expected that these MECs; with their respective departments, will remain committed to ensuring a competent administration that will continue to serve the people as we build a Modern, Growing and Successful Province.

The Northern Cape Provincial Government remains committed to ensuring a competent Public Service that has the interests of the people of this Province at heart.

The new Members of the Executive Council will be sworn-in by the Judge President of the Northern Cape High Court Division, Judge Pule Tlaletsi, today, at 15h00.

Thank you

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Enquiries:
Bronwyn Thomas-Abrahams, Spokesperson to the Premier, 083 447 6586, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.