Imbabazane

Imbabazane Local Municipality is located at the foothills of the Central Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Park (World Heritage Site), and is situated between Okhahlamba, Umtshezi and Mooi-Mpofana Municipalities. The majority of the population of Imbabazane Municipality resides in rural villages scattered throughout the municipal area, particularly in traditional authority areas.

Estcourt is the closest urban centre to Imbabazane, and serves as a regional shopping and service centre offering specialist services including medical, education and manufacturing.

Many of the government departments serving Imbabazane have regional offices located in Estcourt. Ladysmith is the main regional shopping and services centre and boasts a healthy industrial centre that continues to expand. Estcourt and Ladysmith are the main employment centres for Imbabazane.

Imbabazane does not have a well-defined settlement pattern, which along with poor municipal capacity has inhibited service delivery.

(Source: www.localgovernment.co.za)

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Kouga

Kouga Local Municipality is situated in the Cacadu District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province, on the south-eastern coast of South Africa. The major towns that fall within the municipality include Humansdorp, Jeffreys Bay and Hankey.read more »

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Kou-Kamma

Kou-Kamma Local Municipality is situated in the Cacadu District Municipality alongside the coast of the Indian Ocean in the south-western area of the Eastern Cape province. Kou-Kamma spans 35 575 km2 and neighbours the Baviaans Local Municipality in the north, and the Kouga Local Municipality to the east.

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Sakhisizwe

Sakhisizwe Local Municipality is an administrative area in the Chris Hani District Municipality of the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Sakhisizwe is an isiXhosa name meaning "we are building the nation" (http://en.wikipedia.org).read more »

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Senqu

Senqu Local Municipality is located in the Joe Gqabi District of the Eastern Cape Province, sharing its northern border with the country of Lesotho. Senqu is a Sesotho name for the Orange River. (http://en.wikipedia.org). 83,5% of the population lives in a non-urban environment, and major settlements include Barkley East, Mareteng and Voyizane.read more »

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South Africa and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

In the year 2000 the South African government, along with other members of the United Nations (UN), committed to a national and global plan of action to reduce poverty and ensure the development of its people. The sixth and final Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Country Report for 2015 provides an overview of the progress South Africa has made towards achieving the eight MDGs. In addition, it provides an historical account of South Africa’s development in numbers. The MDGs are:

1. To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. To promote universal primary education
3. To promote gender equality and empower women
4. To reduce child mortality
5. To improve maternal health
6. To combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. To ensure environmental sustainability
8. To develop a global partnership for the development.

This report reflects the intense national effort, from a range of institutions, organisations and individuals, to improve the lives of all South Africans; particularly the poor and marginalised. A great many people have contributed to this report through their participation in various consultative fora across the country, often at great expense and sacrifice. What started 15 years ago certainly does not end here, and reporting on development issues will continue through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is therefore critical that South Africa’s unfinished MDG business, as well as emerging developmental issues, be appropriately integrated within the SDGs in a manner that places the spotlight on them, while providing adequate direction and impetus for effective planning, development of appropriate policies and budgets, and the construction of appropriate national monitoring and reporting systems.

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sustainable development goals

The global agenda on sustainable development is best expressed through the SDGs, what one can best describe as the ultimate measure of progress which is about prosperity for people and planet. The SDGs, a set of 17 “Global Goals”, 169 targets, and 230 indicators, are a standard for evaluating if progress is being made across the world to reduce poverty, improve quality of life, and realise aspirations of the masses of people towards development. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Indicator Baseline Report 2017 This report sheds light on what has been done and on what more needs to be accomplished in order to rid South Africa of extreme poverty. Structure of the report The report covers all 17 goals stated in the SDG documents. Each goal will be treated as a separate chapter in the report. Each chapter will be structured as follows: 1)         An introduction linking the sustainable development goal to the country’s National Development Plan (NDP), related policies, programmes and projects initiated by departments and institutions. 2)         Statement of the individual targets relating to the goal together with all indicators pertaining to specific targets. 3)         The definition of the indicator as well as the method of computing the indicator values. 4)         A baseline indicator value and where applicable, a chart/table indicating changes over time for the selected indicators are given. Baseline indicator values are based on data obtained during the base year (2016) or the year closest to 2016 for which data was available. In instances where the base year/period is not referenced on the charts/tables, the base year is 2016. 5)         Indication of the data source(s). 6)         Where possible, a comment section relating to the indicator is included. Click here for GoalTracker Portalread more »

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Crime statistics

  Crime prevention and ultimate elimination is one of the priority goals of the National Development Plan (NDP). Crime affects all people irrespective of their background, and it is a topic that attracts a lot of media attention. Analysis will show that some groupings are affected by certain types of crime more than others. Crime statistics are essential in order to understand the temporal and spatial dynamics of crime. Such understanding is vital for planning targeted interventions and assessing progress made towards achieving a crime free nation where "people living in South Africa feel safe at home, at school and at work, and they enjoy a community life free of fear. Women walk freely in the streets and children play safely outside". There are two major sources of crime statistics in South Africa, namely the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). The other smaller sources such as the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) are by no means insignificant, as they provide statistics for types of crime not adequately covered by the major players, such as domestic violence. While the methodologies used by the SAPS and Stats SA are very different, the two institutions produce crime statistics that complement each other. The SAPS produces administrative data of crime reported to police stations by victims, the public and crime reported as a result of police activity. Stats SA produces crime statistics estimated from household surveys. Crimes reported to the SAPS do not always have the same definitions as crime statistics produced from VOCS. In addition, not all crimes reported by the SAPS are reported by VOCS and vice versa. Working in close collaboration with Stats SA, the South African Police Service has undertaken to align its Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (CCSP) to the International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS). Highlights of the 2017/18 Victims of Crime report Aggregate crime levels increased in 2017/18 compared to 2016/17. It is estimated that over 1,5 million incidences of household crime occurred in South Africa in 2017/18, which constitutes an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. Incidences of crime on individuals are estimated to be over 1,6 million, which is an increase of 5% from the previous year. Aggregate household crime levels increased in Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Individual crime levels increased in Free State, North West and Gauteng. North West experienced a drastic increase of 80% in the individual crime level. Perceptions of South Africans on crime in 2017/18 were more skeptical compared to the previous year. About 42% thought property crime increased during the past three years. This is an increase of 6,9% from the previous year. 46% thought violent crime increased during the past three years, an increase of 4,5% over the previous year. Western Cape was the most skeptical about crime trends, as 84% of Western Cape residents thought that crime in South African increased or stayed the same. Mpumalanga was the least skeptical among the nine provinces, where 65% thought that crime increased or stayed the same during the past three years. Crimes that are feared most are those that are most common. An estimated 79% of South Africans felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods during the day, which is a decrease of 6,7% from last year. About 32% of South Africans felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods at night, constituting an increase of 8% from last year. The highlights for household and individual experiences of crime from the 2016/17 VOCS report are as follows:  read more »

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Gender Statistics

South Africa has a history of exclusion and discrimination on all kinds of grounds, such as race and gender. For this reason we have developed one of the most inclusive constitutions in the world, with a Bill of Rights that specifically refers to equal treatment for all regardless of race, age, disability status, socio-economic status and gender (Section 9). Legislation – such as the Employment Equity Act of 1998 – has facilitated access to formal employment for women, where employers are legally required to work towards more equitable representation based on gender, race and disability. Our National Development Plan 2030 envisions an inclusive society and economy, free from unequal opportunities through capacity building, redress and increased interaction. Through a combination of legislation, monitoring and accountability, significant progress has been made in this regard, especially in the public sector. For example, the percentage of women in senior management positions in the public service increased from 13% in 1998 to 42% in 2017. Gender and gender statistics are not just about women. Whereas the term sex refers to a biological male/female classification, the word gender connotes more than that. It encapsulates social and cultural differences, and also includes how an individual views him-/herself. The term “gender role” relates to society’s concept of how men and women are expected to act. Gender stereotypes form the basis of sexism, or the prejudiced beliefs that value males over females or vice versa. Gender inequality refers to the unequal treatment and/or perceptions of inequality of men in relation to women or vice versa. Even though there are instances where discrimination occurs against men, more often than not women are at a disadvantage. This is manifested in, for example, preferential access to work and/or certain jobs for men, unequal pay for equal work, bullying, domination and violence against women, selective abortion of female children, and preferential household expenditure on boys’ education. While great strides have been made towards equality for women, there still remains great challenges; there is a need for continued measurement and policy and programmatic interventions. In addition to monitoring progress with regard to the situation of men and women, an understanding of gender gaps in the following key areas will move the agenda of leaving no one behind forward: Market participation – Equal representation of both sexes in the labour force is important; gender equality allows for an increase in the number of women participating in the work force, which expands the labour force and can contribute towards increased economic productivity and growth. Resource equity – Indicators of men’s and women’s asset ownership and control are important measures used to monitor gender equality. This is achieved when people are able to access and enjoy the same rewards, resources and opportunities regardless of whether they are male or female. Women’s ownership of and control over resources is one of the key elements of empowerment. Governance – Gender equality in positions of decision-making, as well as political representation, are important not only from an empowerment perspective, but also to ensure that issues affecting women are considered during policy formulation, planning and programme/project implementation. Stats SA publishes a wide range of statistics in various reports and publications, highlighting the challenges experienced by women and men in South Africa as measured through household surveys and censuses conducted by Stats SA, as well as other sources.read more »

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Transport

Travel survey – Online Updates The National Household Travel survey (NHTS) provides insight into the travel patterns of South African households, providing information on modes of transport used, such as land, air and water transport, as well as cycling, walking, public and private transport. Also included are statistics on travel times, transport challenges experienced by households, and travel patterns related to work, education and leisure. NHTS surveys were conducted in 2003, 2013 and 2020. Transport and the need for transport has become an important part of daily life in South Africa. Not only does the movement of goods and services play an important part in the South African economy, but the types of transport available to individuals affects spatial decisions in terms of work, entertainment, education and place of residence. Stats SA publishes a range of transport-related information in various reports and publications. Travel survey The National Household Travel survey (NHTS) provides insight into the travel patterns of South African households, providing information on modes of transport used, such as land, air and water transport, as well as cycling, walking, public and private transport. Also included are statistics on travel times, transport challenges experienced by households, and travel patterns related to work, education and leisure. NHTS surveys were conducted in 2003 and 2013. Transport and the economy Stats SA’s quarterly Gross domestic product (GDP) release provides information on the size and growth of various industries in the South African economy, including the transport industry. The same publication also includes figures on overall household expenditure on transport. The monthly Motor trade sales release provides the time series data of trade in motor vehicles and motor accessories. The Land transport survey, published on a monthly basis, provides data on passenger and freight transportation by land. The Producer Price Index (PPI) release provides information on the prices of transport equipment leaving the factory gate. The extent to which prices of fuel, public transport and private transport are changing is covered in the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) release. Employment Stats SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) and Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) provide information on the number of individuals employed in various industries, including the transport industry. Financial indicators The Quarterly Financial Statistics (QFS) and Annual Financial Statistics (AFS) reports provide a financial overview of various industries, including transport, storage and communication. Data on turnover, income and expenditure, profit or loss and various balance sheet items are also included in the reports. The transport and storage industry report for 2013 provides more in-depth information on the size, nature and structure of the transport and storage industry. This periodic survey provides details on employment within the industry, trading income, expenditure, profit or loss, inventories, sales and services, and purchases.read more »

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