Chairperson, Dr Leon Swartz of the NPU;

Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Mr Buti Manamela;

Mr Pali Lehohla, Statistician General of Stats SA;

Special Advisor to the Minister, Mr Zane Dangor;

Dr Esther Muia, UNFPA Country Representative;

Ms Nompumelelo Nzimande, President of the Population Association of Southern Africa;

Dr Wiseman Magasela, DDG for Social Policy and Research at DSD;

All presenters and panellists who contributed papers to the SA Day programme;

Students who will present papers in today’s Student Session;

UAPS leadership present in the session;

All participants;

Ladies and gentlemen;

Good day!

I trust that you are enjoying the conference so far and that you have settled into our lovely province of Gauteng. It is a great pleasure and honour for me to welcome you in my capacity as the Minister of Social Development as well as the co-host of the 7th African Population Conference to the opening of the South Africa Day and the launch of our latest Population Policy Review Report.

I would like to extent a special welcome to my counterparts from the rest of the continent. As government we see the South Africa Day, as well as the rest of the conference as an opportunity to strengthen regional and continental co-operation on matters of common interests. Thank you all for coming and a particular thanks to those who have travelled from afar.

It is so heartening for me to see so many young and emerging scholars participating at this prestigious event. I am especially pleased that the student session contains nine papers. It is reassuring that young people are so committed and dedicated to shaping their own future.

Ladies and gentlemen, the South Africa day consists of a number of different sessions and themes that are pertinent to the challenges and opportunities facing our country, our region as well as our continent. I am sure that these themes will elicit vibrant and robust discussions from participants.

Esteemed guests, it also gives me great pleasure to, as part of the South Africa Day events, present the current Population Policy Review report to you.

The Population Policy for South Africa was adopted in Parliament in 1998 and every five years the Department of Social Development through the National Population Unit (NPU) produces a Review Report, evaluating progress with the implementation of the White Paper on Population Policy for South Africa (1998) and the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (ICPD PoA) (1994). The last report, which covered the period 1994 to 2009, was published in 2010.

The current report strives to update that report to 2014, particularly on the basis of Census 2014 results. This particular report also covers a broader set of themes including Poverty and Inequality; Migration; Population, Environment and Development; Gender; Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights; HIV and AIDS; Families, Youth, Children and Persons with Disabilities.

I want to assure you, esteemed guests, that this review report is not simply another government publication. This document is the product of a wide process of developing a more concerted strategy to address national population and development concerns. We have had numerous consultative meetings in 2012 and 2014 with key stakeholders, including government departments, civil society organisations and academic institutions.

Twelve thematic chapters were developed by the National Population Unit and presented and discussed during the 2012 consultative workshops, after which they were finalised and a synthesis report compiled, reflecting the essence of these chapters and key recommendations on each theme.

The synthesis report was also presented and discussed at a consultative workshop in 2014, after which it was finalised, culminating in this report, entitled, ‘Fifteen Year Progress Review of the Implementation of the Population Policy for South Africa (1998) and the International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action (1994) @ 20’. It is such a pleasure for us presenting this report to you today!

This review report provides a comprehensive assessment of population trends and dynamics since the adoption of the Population Policy for South Africa in 1998 and is also supportive of the priorities identified in the National Development Plan.

It shows that considerable progress has been achieved with the objectives of the Population Policy and ICPD Programme of Action. The many poverty alleviation programmes addressing income, human capital and asset poverty has resulted in more South Africans today having access, to for example, some form of household income, even if only in the form of a social grant.

More South Africans also have access to formal housing, piped water, electricity and decent sanitation. Census 2011 data shows, that South Africans overall, are enjoying a higher standard of life, particularly in formal urban areas. Annual nominal household income also more than doubled since 2001. Asset and human capital poverty also decreased significantly with eighty-five percent of households having electricity for lighting in 2011, up from fifty-eight percent in 1996. Almost three-quarters of South African households also had piped water inside the dwelling or yard – unfortunately, the provision of flush toilets has only increased marginally from fifty percent in 1996 to fifty-seven in 2011.

Despite the progress made, some challenges identified during the previous review remained and emerging ones were identified and subsequent recommendations made. These challenges and recommendations have informed the identified population priorities for the current term of government and also informed the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Population Policy’s work programme.

Ladies and gentlemen, the first identified population priority for the current term of government is Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). It is important to note that the SRHR of all who live in South Africa is important and will be addressed, but particular attention will be paid to the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of adolescents.

The second identified population priority is Gender Equality, Equity and the Empowerment of Women. With this population priority, specific attention will be paid to combating Gender Based Violence and the unequal relationships that continue to exist between men and women.

The third identified population priority is entitled, ‘Dynamics of a Changing Population Age Structure: Causes and Consequences’. We all know that the South African population age structure has changed and continues to change. These changes have implications for what the South African population will look like in future and we need to start paying attention and prepare for the emerging population and development issues the country will face in the future.

The last, but by no means least of the identified population priorities for the current term of government is Migration and Urbanisation. Specific attention will be paid to all forms of migration and rapid urbanisation as well as issues around the lack of migration data and government’s ability to integrate that data into planning and the subsequent implications for service delivery, particularly at the local level.

Ladies and gentlemen, make sure that you have your copy of the Population Policy Review Report. We will also ensure that copies of this report will be disseminated widely and to all our stakeholders and partners. We have already started to share the findings, recommendations and population priorities with our stakeholders, and will continue to advocate these as widely as possible. I hope that this report will challenge, excite and even inspire you.

I want to assure you that we are working tirelessly to ensure that we address existing and emerging challenges and will continue to do so. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Population Policy has already developed its work programme based on the population priorities and recommendations identified in this review report. We hope and trust that you, our stakeholders, will also use this report as one of your key resource documents.

Ladies and gentlemen, before I hand over to Dr Swartz, our session chair, to tell us what the rest of the programme will entail, please allow me to again welcome you to the opening of the South Africa Day and the launch of this Population Policy Review Report. It is pleasing seeing so many of you here.

SOURCE: SOUTH AFRICAN OFFICIAL NEWS