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58% – Approximately the percentage of eligible voters who did not vote in this year’s election. 92% - The percentage of municipalities whose finances this year are worrying. 4 – The number of negative records set by the Springboks in 2016.

These figures are among the most important statistics in the Solidarity Research Institute’s 2016 in numbers report released today. The report documents South Africa’s most important figures for the year and focuses on sports, labour, politics, the economy and finance, as well as crime.

Although the Springboks imitated the underperformance of the miserable economy and although corruption took on new dimensions, we also had a number of reasons to be proud and pleased in 2016. Dr Eugene Brink, Senior Researcher at the Solidarity Research Institute, believes that the citizenry and the private sector actually performed well in 2016, thereby outshining the government with all its regulating and failures throughout 2016. “The report shows that South Africa has huge problems on the economic front such as high unemployment and weak labour market absorption.  Inflexible labour relations and legislation, high government debt and corruption pose major problems. In addition, our rugby – which has always been a great source of national pride – is probably at its lowest level ever,” Dr Brink said.

Despite the numerous “problematic figures” depicted in the report, Dr Brink pointed out that we only had to look at the achievements of our Olympic athletes and the performance of our auditing and reporting standards to know that there is still cause for joy.

Notable figures in the report include the following:

• 77% – The percentage of South Africans from all racial groups and from across the country who indicated in a poll by the South African Institute of Race Relations that merit should be the only criterion for the selection of sports teams.
• 68% – The percentage of voters in this year’s local government election who already had decided whom to vote for a month prior to the election. Only 8% decided on voting day and 10% during the weekend before the election.
• 7 978 980 – The number of voters who voted for the ANC in this year’s election – a mere 22% of all eligible voters.
• 18% – The percentage of South Africans who indicated in a poll by the South African Institute of Race Relations (SAIRR) that land reform should be a priority for government. This is the second lowest of all the priority options in the poll after the brain drain.
• 92% – The percentage of municipalities whose finances this year are worrying or even require intervention according to the Auditor-General. In 2012-’13 it was 82%.
• 15 218 753 – The number of households with access to tap water in 2016. In 1996 it was 7 234 023.
• 79% – The number of provincial departments and public entities in the Western Cape that received clean audits from the AG in 2015-’16 – the highest of all the provinces.
• 49% - The number of survey respondents in a new study by The Ethics Institute of South Africa who said that it is possible to get through life in South Africa without paying a bribe. This figure is up from 27% in 2015.

Click here-https://navorsing.solidariteit.co.za/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2016/12/2016_in_numbers.pdf to see the full report.

Issued by Solidarity