Announcement of the new Statistician General Mr Risenga
Maluleke Minister Jeff T Radebe
Good Morning, Ladies and Gentleman.
You must all know, as I am sure you do, that by the end of
this month, 31 October 2017, Dr Pali Lehohla’s official term of contract will
come to an end as South Africa’s Statistician General. This is end of an
illustrious era -17 years as South Africa’s Statistician General and another
decade in the trenches as Stats SA
Allow me to extend my heartfelt gratitude, thanks and
salute to Dr Lehohla. I do so as Minister in the Presidency and on behalf of
the entire government of South Africa and all our people. You certainly “brightened
up “our day. Dr Lehohla, under your leadership, Stats SA in universally
considered as the best national statistics office on the continent. Walking with
you at the UN Head Quarters, in the USA recently, and noting how people across
the globe recognize you and embraced your efforts, was a lesson in
extraordinary commitment and a testimony to your resilience. Thank you. This is
a legacy of your tenure at the helm of Stats SA. It was certainly a highly productive
and exceedingly exciting time we shared together. Thank you for that too. We are
preparing a function, befitting you contribution – the details will follow
soon.
At the last Cabinet Meeting that was held on Wednesday, 18
October 2017, it was agreed that the time is upon us to bring “new hands on
deck’’ to chart the next phase in the history of the evolution of Stats SA.
These are exciting times, indeed.
It therefore gives me the singular honor and pleasure to
inform you and to announce, formally, the appointment of Mr Risenga Maluleke as
the new Statistician-General of South Africa and the Head of Statistics South
Africa (Stats SA).
I am indeed happy to announce that Mr Risenga, with all his
passion, commitment and institutional memory will serve to continue the journey
of ensuring that Stats SA delivers on its historic journey of making the
institution the pre-eminent conduit of trust. Mr Maluleke, it was said, that
statistics is a conduit of trust, and only those who can be trusted should be
its stewards and custodians. This is now the baton that the entire South Africa
passes on to you.
Mr Maluleke is a blue blooded Stats SA employee, in
character and it conduct. He joined Stats SA twenty years ago, in 1997 and has
served in various leadership and management roles, having joined the
organization as a Provincial Manager for the Limpopo Provincial Office.
For the past nine years, he has been a Deputy Director
General (DDG) for Statistical Collections and Outreach. The portfolio he
managed included Provincial Offices (Responsible for data collection for
censuses and sample surveys), International Statistical Development as well as
Communications, Marketing and Stakeholder Relations.
Mr Maluleke holds a Master’s Degree from the Centre for
Regional and urban Statistical Explorations (CRUISE), from the University of
Stellenbosch; a Bachelor of Science Degree (Mathematical Statistics), from the
University of Limpopo, as well as Senior Leadership Certificates from Wits
University and the Harvard Business School.
Mr Maluleke has actively participated in and led the
transformation agenda for statistics not only in South Africa but on the
African Continent through his active engagement and chairing various global fora
on statistical development on the continent and the rest of the world.
He continues drive the positioning of official statistics –
as an independent function – within the planning apparatus of our country. This
is in line with commitment to evidence-based policy formulation, as
encapsulated in South Africa’s lodestar, the National Development Plan
At an international level, he has been instrumental in
managing Stats SA participation in international meetings such as the United
Nation’s Statistical Commission. He has also represented Stats SA on emerging
issues such as “Big Data” and its inherent programs of “Data Revolution” in
support of indicators for the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and Africa’s very own “Agenda 2063”. Mr Maluleke is indeed a well-rounded
intellect, a grounded statistician and has been a committed public servant for
all of his working life.
He takes office on 01 November 2017 and we wish Mr Maluleke
and the entire Stats SA management team well in their endeavour to continue
deliver official statistics that our country needs. As I wish Maluleke all the
very best, let me remind him, that the now steps into the “yellow suit “and the
“blue suede shoes “of no less a person than the formidable outgoing
Statistician General, Dr Pali Lehohla
We pride ourselves that Stats SA, as our national
statistics agency, continues to have the independence and freedom to exercise
its professional will and to illuminate issues as they are in our society. Long
may it last!
I thank you.
