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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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A. Consistent financially unqualified Audit Opinions with no findings and a record surplus presenting a positive bank balance in the previous financial year.

• R8,049 million is transferred to the Mme Re Ka Thusa Trust Fund.
• R10 million is transferred  for the Information Technology Shared Services Centre (ITSSC), 
• R15,3 million towards the Northern Cape Premiers Education Trust Fund
• R5 million for the implementation of the a Comprehensive Communication Strategy

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Programme Director, Ms Nzinga Qunta
Distinguished guests
Members of the Media
Ladies and gentlemen

A number of key themes have emerged from the last 3 days of this summit. These are urgency, collaboration and leadership.

The first is of the need for urgency. Inherent in South Africa wanting to be a “green hydrogen investment destination of choice” is the understanding that capital and demand have other global regions that they are exploring for long terms partnerships for production and supply. When we talk about leveraging a first mover advantage it is about proving south Africa as a competitive, stable, reliable supplier. It is about proving the ability to develop and operate complex industrial infrastructure, it is about demonstrating the skill and understanding in putting these elements together and it’s about testing the regulatory framework from generation, to production, to transportation. So when we talk about urgency, we are not talking about the urgency to plan, we are talking about the urgency to do. To set-up the foundations from which projects can be developed, investment attracted, supply chains stimulated and most importantly, jobs being created for our people.

The second is the collaboration between the Northern Cape and the Western Cape on green hydrogen is significant. It links the renewable energy generation and mining hub of the Northern Cape and the industrial and commercial base of the Western Cape in a meaningful and complimentary way. This is demonstrated through the first of its kind Western SADC Green Hydrogen Corridor Heads of Agreement between the two provinces. The development of a green hydrogen economy is not only mutually beneficial to the development of both provinces but it also benefits the rest of the country and the rest of the Region too. A natural call to action from this conference is to formally bring in government to government green hydrogen collaboration agreements. The Northern Cape often speaks about the vast potential of the Boegoeberg se baai’s green hydrogen Special Economic Zone. Its masterplan has developed substantially and it is nearing the point of enabling public consultation around the development of 40 gigawatts of electrolyser capacity powered by approximately 80 gigawatts of renewable energy. This will be transformative for the area and the rest of the province. But what few people realise is that the Flagship Namibian project is only 20 kilometers as the crow flies, across the Orange River from Boegoeberg se Baai. So the development of joint pipeline and port infrastructure or the utilization of common infrastructure is clearly a low hanging fruit. It gives Regional projects an opportunity to evacuate their product to market, it gives the planned port project additional commodities to trade and most importantly it allows the development of industrial clusters that support and benefit from both flagship projects.

The third is the power of leadership. As we develop and curate this pipeline of Green Hydrogen Strategic Integrated Projects, lets us not forget that we are standing on the shoulders of the 15 years of research and innovation that has been led by the Department of Science and Innovation. We are standing on the shoulders of Sasol and its ability to produce 2.4 million tons of green hydrogen a year. But importantly we are being led by the Presidency through the Country Investment Strategy which has green hydrogen, impact investing and Special Economic Zones and 3 of the 5 Big Frontiers. Because of the multi-sectoral and multi-departmental nature of green hydrogen which touches Mineral Resources and Energy, Trade Industry and Competition, Science and Innovation, Public Enterprise, Transport, Higher Education, Labour and Public Works and Infrastructure, the ability of the Presidency to play a convening and coordinating role is key. This coordination is anchored on the Provinces playing a leading role in investment promotion and walking the path from pre-feasibility to financial close with prospective project developers. The Provinces are the sharp end of the stick and we look to take this journey of mutual benefit and collaboration forward to the benefit of all of our people.
Allow me to thank everyone for their valuable participation and contribution in making this Inaugural Green Hydrogen Summit a success.

Thank you

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Programme Director, Commissioner Bacus
Acting Chairperson of the PSC Commissioner Professor Somadoda Fikeni
Vice Principal of UNISA Professor T Meyiwa
CEO of the Ethics Institute Professor D. Rossouw
Public Service Commission DG, Ms Dinky Dube
Head of the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation, Dr Lebeya
Retired Deputy National Director - Public Prosecutions, Mr Willie Hofmeyer
Representatives from law enforcement agencies
Representatives from Chapter 9 and 12 Institutions
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies and gentlemen

I appreciate the opportunity to provide the keynote address at the 2022 Public Sector Commission Seminar with the captivating theme, “improving governance, systems and processes in the public sector”.

Let me thank Professor Fikeni and the Public Service Commission for this surprise invite to address you at this Seminar on this very important topic, “Implications for the Public Service based on the outcome of Commission of Enquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector.” This is not an easy topic, taking into cognisance the sheer size and scale of public service in South Africa, it is multi-layered and multi-dimensional.

The Public Sector in South Africa has recently been marred by a series of scandals, which is as a result of instances of clear lack of ethics. Commissions, such as the Zondo Commission, Nugent and Mokgoro, have revealed that public administration in South Africa is faced with an increasing challenge of rampant corruption.  Lack of ethics and corruption manifests among public office bearers and public servants. This scourge impedes government departments’ capacity to render public services effectively and efficiently. It goes without saying that corruption robs the poor the most.

We came to accept it that for every human being that dies there are beneficiaries, similarly with the death of the apartheid dispensation, the new democratic dispensation inherited a whole host of things. To mention two, which I think is relevant to this conversation. First we inherited an apartheid State, which was fundamentally flawed and corrupt, whose primary existence was to cater for the white minority interest by oppressing the black majority.

Secondly, we inherited a people yearning for change. This change was beautifully captured in the RDP as a “BETTER LIFE FOR ALL”.  To achieve this dream of a “BETTER LIFE FOR ALL”, required social re-engineering that involved the transformation of the State because what was inherited was completely ill-equipped to mid-wife the vision of a “BETTER LIFE FOR ALL.”

The political tagline of a “BETTER LIFE FOR ALL” generated untold expectations, particularly from the black population who are at the receiving end of the socio-economic disparities in the country. They trusted the State as their only hope to deliver the dream of a “BETTER LIFE FOR ALL”. This was a fair expectation because without an active involvement of the democratic State, “BETTER LIFE FOR ALL”  will be a stillborn.

The State transformation project started 1994 and in the early 2000’s we started speaking of constructing a capable and ethical developmental State. At the heart of the transformation of the State is the transformation of the public service, which is expected to be capable and ethical. These two attributes, capability and ethical disposition are essential to instil the much needed trust and confidence in the public service.

The public service is created by laws, but fundamentally derives its legitimacy from public trust. Public trust is a belief from citizens that the powers that reside in the public service will be exercised fairly and equitably, and that their resources will be managed capably and ethically.

Right throughout the world there is general decline in public trust. Not trusting public service is becoming a norm. On average only 51% of citizens across Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries trust their public service. The OECD is now exploring how governments can build public trust. This is not an easy task given that trust had only slightly recovered from the 2008 financial crisis.

The Mo Ibrahim Forum 2018 Report shows that while there is an increasing demand on public service; public trust in the public service in Africa is at an all-time low and South Africa is no exception. The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report of 2021 indicates that corruption remained constant across the globe without any significant efforts undertaken to end it, or to at least bring it under control. The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories across the world on the perceived level of public sector corruption on the scale of 0-100, where 0 represents highly corrupt and 100 means “very clean”. The ranking is based on the position of a country relative to other countries in the index. According to the Corruption Perceptions Index, in 2021 South Africa ranked 70/180 and scored 44/100 in the same period. These are concerning outcomes.

Furthermore, the Afro barometer team in South Africa, led by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation and Plus 94 Research, interviewed 1,600 adult South Africans in May and June 2021. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. The key findings are:

• Only a minority of South Africans say they trust the President (38%) and Parliament (27%). For the first time in Afro barometer surveys, only a minority (43%) express trust in the courts of law.
• Only about one in three citizens (36%) trust the Electoral Commission of South Africa, with trust levels particularly low among younger respondents. Slightly more (42%) trust the Public Protector.
• Two-thirds (67%) of South Africans would be willing to give up elections if a non- elected government could provide security, housing, jobs and fight corruption.

What these survey outcomes reflect is that trust in nearly all institutions is low – and declining. In South Africa this has been exacerbated by the glaring incapacity of the public service to meet the delivery needs of the citizens in an environment punctuated by scary corruption recounts.

The final staggered reports of the State Capture Commission were presented in this environment of discontentment with public service. This discontentment comes with high levels of mistrust between the citizens and the public service.

Also, and very importantly, the presentation of the final commission reports is sandwiched by two natural disasters. First, is the Covid-19 pandemic that brought the economy to its knees and compounded the efforts to address the triple fault lines in the socio-economic landscape of the country. Secondly, are the recent floods in Kwazulu Natal (KZN) and certain parts of the Eastern Cape (EC). During a disaster, public service is expected to play a pivotal role to mitigate its impact and it is also expected that there will be an increase in public trust.

However, the plunder of public resources which are meant to save lives during Covid- 19 accentuated a sense of deep mistrust by citizens in the public service. The recent government intervention in both KZN and parts of the EC to mitigate the impact of the floods is met with a deep sense of cynicism by the majority of South Africans, that this intervention creates another front for looting of public resources.

The cumulative impact of events that took place in the country, including the State Capture Report resulted in a worsening deficit in the public trust in South Africa’s key democratic institutions, which includes the public service. The Daily Maverick, a South African news publication, estimated that state capture cost the country roughly R1. 5 trillion. The confirmed costs of the almost three-year probe stood at almost R1-billion. But very importantly, this is roughly equal to the R864-million which McKinsey has repaid to Eskom and SAA after negotiations with the commission.

The nature of the State Capture was concentrated in the State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) which are meant to be drivers of economic growth. These SOE’s are:

• SAA,
• Denel,
• Transnet,
• Eskom,
• SABC, and
• PRASA

Because of the deleterious impact of State Capture on these SOE’s, they are now limping and are fiscal guzzlers depending on the overstretched fiscus for their continued existence. Through fiscal bailouts to these SOE’s we take money from public education and public health to fund their operational cost and capex needs.

One of the critical objectives for the existence of SOEs is for them to be catalysts and drivers for economic growth and through an extensive rollout of strategic infrastructure, for instance for communication, energy needs and transport to the poor and rural masses.

There are many factors that lead to sluggish economic growth in the country and amongst them is the weakened capacity of the SOE’s. We are experiencing bouts of load shedding, rail transportation is in shambles and SAA is now trying to rise from a death bed. These maladies continue to hammer the little that is  left of the public trust.

The Reconstruction and Development Programme advocate for “people-centred development” and Vision 2030 speaks of  a “citizen based” development trajectory. The scale of corruption exposed by the Commission generated a great deal of mistrust in the public service and this leads to alienation of citizens, who are expected to be active participants. 

This alienation in turn results in disengagement by citizens from the legal platforms of citizens’ participation, which in turn results in disempowerment. This disempowerment is a precursor for civil unrest. Hence, the violent protests, which target the economy and public infrastructure. Under such circumstances the effectiveness of the public service is directly impacted and this could result in high levels of attrition from the most skilled public servants.

Some of the implications of State Capture Commission report in the fight against corruption include the following:

• The commission report will serve as deterrent to public servants who may want to “capture” the state in the nearest future.

• The Zondo Commission Report will give the public service an opportunity to build trust. This is likely to take time, but it is an opportunity that must not go to waste.

• The Zondo commission's report is expected to send strong signals to senior officials who have tendencies of corrupt practices. All South Africans have been urged by the commission report and President Ramaphosa to report any act of mismanagement or corrupt practices to authorities and private whistle-blower platforms. Part of Zondo Commission’s suggestion was to, among other things, enhance transparency by amending political party funding act and also enact laws that can redefine public procurement processes.

As part of our efforts to deal with the abuses and malfeasance perpetuated in our country due to unethical behaviour, the Department of Public Service and Administration has launched the public administration ethics, integrity and disciplinary technical assistance unit. This initiative must be appreciated.

This unit will focus on curbing fraud and corruption among public servants by implementing norms and standards on ethics, integrity and disciplined management in the civil service.  It will also strengthen the measures for the protection of whistle-blowers in the public service and will contribute to building a culture of ethical leadership whilst helping to professionalise the public service.

Public servants are crucial in ensuring that government undertakes measures to ensure sound governance and administration. We need activist public servants, with courage and grit to be change-agents as the state renews, rebuilds and repositions the institution as the pinnacle of anti-corruption.

As public servants and representatives we all need to play a key role in combating systemic corruption in the public service.

Thank you again for the opportunity