Date: 05/08/2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Census 2001 Gauteng results
ADDRESS BY THE GAUTENG PREMIER, MBHAZIMA SHILOWA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE HANDING OVER OF THE CENSUS 2001 GAUTENG RESULTS, Caesar's, Kempton Park, 5 August 2003
Master of Ceremonies;
The Statistician General;
Chairperson of the Statistical Council;
MECs;
Distinguished Guests
In June 2001 when we launched the census process in our province we said the exercise would help us determine whether we have succeeded with our efforts to reduce unemployment, homelessness, poverty and to increase the levels of skills and access to education and health care.
The 2001 Census results have answered that question and confirmed what we have said on many occasions, that the poorest of South Africans who had endured pain and suffering inflicted upon them by centuries of apartheid neglect and injustice have over the past few years experienced a great deal of improvement in their quality of life.
The results tell us in a more scientific way that the policies and programmes that our government, working together with the people, has been implementing since the advent of freedom and democracy are having a positive impact on the lives of our people.
As a province we believe the census results tell our success story. The results show us that we have set a firm foundation on which we are building a better Gauteng that contributes towards a better South Africa for all.
While pointing to the progress that we have made in the past few years, the census results also tell us about the enormity of the challenges that continue to stare us in the face. In this regard the results provide us more accurate information on which we can base our future plans to address our challenges and to make further progress towards our goal of creating a better life for all.
The census tells us that in 2001 there were almost 1.5 million more people living in Gauteng than there were in 1996.
It is important to note that while the Gauteng population has grown, as indicated in the results, our service delivery has not decreased but has kept pace with the population growth. For example, the percentage of households with access to clean water has virtually remained the same at 97%.
On education, the census tells us that we are getting public schooling right. There is a decrease in the number of people who have no education. The percentage of people with tertiary education is increasing. This augurs well with our strategy to meet the demands of the knowledge-based economy and our plan to transform Gauteng into a globally competitive smart centre.
On the economic front the results confirm the appropriateness of our strategy to move towards value added manufacturing and knowledge-based economy.
As we endeavour to meet the challenges posed by the changing nature of the economy we have also been able to create jobs, albeit not at the rate we may have wished. The progress that we have made regarding unemployment is often masked by some statistical problems, which I hope Statistics SA will in future be able to explain.
Many poor economically active people were previously not included in the statistics simply because they never registered themselves as job seekers. The statistics might tell us that there are more unemployed people than there were in 1996 while the truth is that more jobs have in fact been created during that period. If we take into account the number of economically active people who were previously excluded from the labour market the figures will more accurately reflect the progress that we are making in reducing unemployment.
The census also confirms the point that we have been making that our economy has the potential to create more jobs if the private sector were to increase investment in the productive economy. This was reaffirmed by the Growth and Development Summit in June.
We have made progress in growing and developing our economy because government has removed apartheid barriers that were hampering economic growth and development and created better conditions for investment.
In Gauteng we have already demonstrated, through a number of our Blue IQ projects, how government can work together with the workers and business to create better conditions for higher economic growth and job creation.
The partnership involving government and business can grow even stronger and yield even better returns if all those who are in business were to truly embrace the RDP vision that says sustainable growth, productivity and competitiveness are intrinsically linked to infrastructural development, job creation and skills development and training.
The census results tell us that 33% of households in our province live in informal settlements or backyards. While the majority of these households have access to water and sanitation and electricity, this is a situation that we are committed to address.
The census also confirms the huge housing backlog in our province. This backlog can be attributed to a number of factors including migration, natural population growth and the decrease in the size of households. Despite this backlog our record shows that we are making steady progress in solving the problem of homelessness.
Between 1994 and 2002 we built 178 417 houses, providing shelter to approximately 890 000 people. A further 425 000 people or 85 000 households have been given ownership of land and access to water and sanitation services.
In many of these areas we have done more than just provide shelter, but put in place the building blocks for sustainable communities. In an increasing number of areas, particularly those ravaged by the inhumanity of apartheid, we have moved beyond provision of housing to significant urban regeneration. This is what we have done or are doing in Alexandra, Newtown, Kliptown and soon Bekkersdal.
One of the key constraints to the building of sustainable communities is the lack of access to employment and income generating opportunities. This means that not enough people can participate in government-sponsored housing programmes such as social housing, RDP houses or even build their own homes through the People's Housing Process. In addition, poor people fall behind in respect of payments for water, rates and electricity. This has a negative impact on local government's ability to address backlogs in maintenance and the provision of infrastructure.
Therefore, key to addressing this challenge is to ensure that houses are built closer to places of employment and that income generating opportunities are created. This may also mean that when we invest in housing, we must also invest in local economic development as we are doing in our urban regeneration projects at Kliptown, Newtown and Alexandra.
Those who took part in the Blue IQ marathon around Newtown during the opening of the Nelson Mandela Bridge may have noticed that Newtown is more than just a cultural precinct but an important initiative to grow the economy and provide decent affordable housing. Soon we will be commencing construction for the Brickfields housing project.
The census results also show us the uneven development of our province. In this relatively wealthier province there are still a significant number of residents without access to water and sanitation. The census results show that the number of households without water and sanitation has increased by 1.1% between 1996 and 2001.
It is this reality that our water and sanitation programme, which we started last year, seeks to address. We remain committed to wipe out the water and sanitation backlog in Gauteng within the next few years.
One of the challenges that we need to respond to is the issue of migration. We will be engaging further with Statistics SA to get a better picture of the profile of the migrants that are coming to our province. We should not just assume that they are political or economic refugees from impoverished rural areas in South Africa and the region.
We already know that the majority of migrants from within South Africa are from KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. We know that the majority of non-South African migrants are from SADC countries and Eastern European countries.
From other research and observations, we believe that migration represents a threat and an opportunity. Our challenge is to turn migration into an opportunity for our province and our country.
Some of the migrants come to our country with valuable skills. They maintain links to their home countries, which are often utilised for trade opportunities.
Migrants from within Africa enrich our diversity as a tourist destination. A trip to any local market on a Sunday will demonstrate that the majority of crafts for sale are not South African in origin.
As we invest and plan for the future we must plan for a future that accommodates and welcomes new migrants to our province. We must recognise that as our economic development programmes yield good results more people will come to Gauteng.
However, we wish to stress that while Gauteng has more resources and opportunities compared to other provinces, we do not see seek to compete with them for population growth and development. Because of its strategic location and proximity, Gauteng has an important contribution to make towards the development of South Africa as a whole. In this regard, our efforts to grow and develop Gauteng should be seen as part of the contribution to develop and grow South Africa.
The 2001 Census results have more accurately and scientifically helped us to see the picture of the unfolding process to reconstruct and develop our country. We can clearly see the progress that we have made in the past few years of freedom and democracy. We can also see the challenges that continue to face us, including the new ones that emerged after democracy.
We are now better placed to march forward at a faster pace knowing that we have not veered off the course that the people of South Africa chose nine years ago. We are confident that this course will lead us to a better South Africa for all.
For more information contact Thabo Masebe on 082 410 8087
Issued by Gauteng Provincial Government
5 August 2003
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
Title: Shilowa: Census 2001 Gauteng results
ADDRESS BY THE GAUTENG PREMIER, MBHAZIMA SHILOWA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE HANDING OVER OF THE CENSUS 2001 GAUTENG RESULTS, Caesar's, Kempton Park, 5 August 2003
Master of Ceremonies;
The Statistician General;
Chairperson of the Statistical Council;
MECs;
Distinguished Guests
In June 2001 when we launched the census process in our province we said the exercise would help us determine whether we have succeeded with our efforts to reduce unemployment, homelessness, poverty and to increase the levels of skills and access to education and health care.
The 2001 Census results have answered that question and confirmed what we have said on many occasions, that the poorest of South Africans who had endured pain and suffering inflicted upon them by centuries of apartheid neglect and injustice have over the past few years experienced a great deal of improvement in their quality of life.
The results tell us in a more scientific way that the policies and programmes that our government, working together with the people, has been implementing since the advent of freedom and democracy are having a positive impact on the lives of our people.
As a province we believe the census results tell our success story. The results show us that we have set a firm foundation on which we are building a better Gauteng that contributes towards a better South Africa for all.
While pointing to the progress that we have made in the past few years, the census results also tell us about the enormity of the challenges that continue to stare us in the face. In this regard the results provide us more accurate information on which we can base our future plans to address our challenges and to make further progress towards our goal of creating a better life for all.
The census tells us that in 2001 there were almost 1.5 million more people living in Gauteng than there were in 1996.
It is important to note that while the Gauteng population has grown, as indicated in the results, our service delivery has not decreased but has kept pace with the population growth. For example, the percentage of households with access to clean water has virtually remained the same at 97%.
On education, the census tells us that we are getting public schooling right. There is a decrease in the number of people who have no education. The percentage of people with tertiary education is increasing. This augurs well with our strategy to meet the demands of the knowledge-based economy and our plan to transform Gauteng into a globally competitive smart centre.
On the economic front the results confirm the appropriateness of our strategy to move towards value added manufacturing and knowledge-based economy.
As we endeavour to meet the challenges posed by the changing nature of the economy we have also been able to create jobs, albeit not at the rate we may have wished. The progress that we have made regarding unemployment is often masked by some statistical problems, which I hope Statistics SA will in future be able to explain.
Many poor economically active people were previously not included in the statistics simply because they never registered themselves as job seekers. The statistics might tell us that there are more unemployed people than there were in 1996 while the truth is that more jobs have in fact been created during that period. If we take into account the number of economically active people who were previously excluded from the labour market the figures will more accurately reflect the progress that we are making in reducing unemployment.
The census also confirms the point that we have been making that our economy has the potential to create more jobs if the private sector were to increase investment in the productive economy. This was reaffirmed by the Growth and Development Summit in June.
We have made progress in growing and developing our economy because government has removed apartheid barriers that were hampering economic growth and development and created better conditions for investment.
In Gauteng we have already demonstrated, through a number of our Blue IQ projects, how government can work together with the workers and business to create better conditions for higher economic growth and job creation.
The partnership involving government and business can grow even stronger and yield even better returns if all those who are in business were to truly embrace the RDP vision that says sustainable growth, productivity and competitiveness are intrinsically linked to infrastructural development, job creation and skills development and training.
The census results tell us that 33% of households in our province live in informal settlements or backyards. While the majority of these households have access to water and sanitation and electricity, this is a situation that we are committed to address.
The census also confirms the huge housing backlog in our province. This backlog can be attributed to a number of factors including migration, natural population growth and the decrease in the size of households. Despite this backlog our record shows that we are making steady progress in solving the problem of homelessness.
Between 1994 and 2002 we built 178 417 houses, providing shelter to approximately 890 000 people. A further 425 000 people or 85 000 households have been given ownership of land and access to water and sanitation services.
In many of these areas we have done more than just provide shelter, but put in place the building blocks for sustainable communities. In an increasing number of areas, particularly those ravaged by the inhumanity of apartheid, we have moved beyond provision of housing to significant urban regeneration. This is what we have done or are doing in Alexandra, Newtown, Kliptown and soon Bekkersdal.
One of the key constraints to the building of sustainable communities is the lack of access to employment and income generating opportunities. This means that not enough people can participate in government-sponsored housing programmes such as social housing, RDP houses or even build their own homes through the People's Housing Process. In addition, poor people fall behind in respect of payments for water, rates and electricity. This has a negative impact on local government's ability to address backlogs in maintenance and the provision of infrastructure.
Therefore, key to addressing this challenge is to ensure that houses are built closer to places of employment and that income generating opportunities are created. This may also mean that when we invest in housing, we must also invest in local economic development as we are doing in our urban regeneration projects at Kliptown, Newtown and Alexandra.
Those who took part in the Blue IQ marathon around Newtown during the opening of the Nelson Mandela Bridge may have noticed that Newtown is more than just a cultural precinct but an important initiative to grow the economy and provide decent affordable housing. Soon we will be commencing construction for the Brickfields housing project.
The census results also show us the uneven development of our province. In this relatively wealthier province there are still a significant number of residents without access to water and sanitation. The census results show that the number of households without water and sanitation has increased by 1.1% between 1996 and 2001.
It is this reality that our water and sanitation programme, which we started last year, seeks to address. We remain committed to wipe out the water and sanitation backlog in Gauteng within the next few years.
One of the challenges that we need to respond to is the issue of migration. We will be engaging further with Statistics SA to get a better picture of the profile of the migrants that are coming to our province. We should not just assume that they are political or economic refugees from impoverished rural areas in South Africa and the region.
We already know that the majority of migrants from within South Africa are from KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. We know that the majority of non-South African migrants are from SADC countries and Eastern European countries.
From other research and observations, we believe that migration represents a threat and an opportunity. Our challenge is to turn migration into an opportunity for our province and our country.
Some of the migrants come to our country with valuable skills. They maintain links to their home countries, which are often utilised for trade opportunities.
Migrants from within Africa enrich our diversity as a tourist destination. A trip to any local market on a Sunday will demonstrate that the majority of crafts for sale are not South African in origin.
As we invest and plan for the future we must plan for a future that accommodates and welcomes new migrants to our province. We must recognise that as our economic development programmes yield good results more people will come to Gauteng.
However, we wish to stress that while Gauteng has more resources and opportunities compared to other provinces, we do not see seek to compete with them for population growth and development. Because of its strategic location and proximity, Gauteng has an important contribution to make towards the development of South Africa as a whole. In this regard, our efforts to grow and develop Gauteng should be seen as part of the contribution to develop and grow South Africa.
The 2001 Census results have more accurately and scientifically helped us to see the picture of the unfolding process to reconstruct and develop our country. We can clearly see the progress that we have made in the past few years of freedom and democracy. We can also see the challenges that continue to face us, including the new ones that emerged after democracy.
We are now better placed to march forward at a faster pace knowing that we have not veered off the course that the people of South Africa chose nine years ago. We are confident that this course will lead us to a better South Africa for all.
For more information contact Thabo Masebe on 082 410 8087
Issued by Gauteng Provincial Government
5 August 2003
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