Statistics SA, which provides vital statistics on economic growth, employment and population, among a host of other key data essential for government planning, has about 720 vacant posts, a vacancy rate of 21.8%.
Statistician-general Risenga Maluleke warned on Friday during an engagement with parliament’s planning, monitoring & evaluation committee on Stats SA’s five-year strategic plan that the situation was critical.
“If we don’t arrest this situation the quality of statistics will start imploding,” Maluleke said. “The vacancy level is dangerous for our ability to produce reliable statistics.”
The institution was losing between 128-131 staff members a year but in the last financial year was only allowed to fill seven posts. The high vacancy rate was due, he said, to inadequate funding. The R2.8bn which the agency will receive in 2025/26 is about the same as its funding for 2023/24 and meant that much-needed infrastructure upgrades were unaffordable.
“Stats SA does not have enough money to pay for its warm bodies. Every year we overspend because we cannot fire people. Stats SA is not sufficiently funded to pay even its salary bill. If it was in the private sector, Stats SA would have closed down by now. Our situation is quite dire.”
Stats SA’s outdated infrastructure also put it at risk and some data series had to be dropped or delayed. It also had to abandon its [intern] programme, which provided a pool for permanent appointments.
The population & social statistics division (budget R307m) has 57 vacant posts; the SA national statistical system division (budget R48m) has 21 vacancies; the methodology & statistical infrastructure division (budget R166m) has 62 vacant posts; statistical support & informatics (budget R306m) has 72 vacant posts; statistical operations & provincial government (budget R889m) has 231 vacant posts; and administration, goods & services (budget R742m) has 162 vacant posts.
Financial pressures have in the past required that Stats SA limit the data series it produces.
Deputy minister in the presidency Nonceba Mhlauli confirmed that Stats SA was in severe financial straits and said the high vacancy rate placed the sustainability of its core data series at risk.
Mhlauli said discussions about the institution’s financial position were under way with National Treasury, which has undertaken to consider it for the medium-term budget policy statement later this year.
She said a commitment to address Stats SA’s financial situation was made by finance minister Enoch Godongwana in the second iteration of the budget, but this was withdrawn in the third version which withdrew the proposed increase in VAT that would have allowed for expanding expenditure. However, Godongwana has committed to look into it.
Risenga said Stats SA needed about R300m to fill its vacant posts.
Statistics Council chairperson Nompumelelo Mbele also raised concerns over the “dangerous” vacancy level. Stats SA staff were under tremendous pressure, she said.
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