South Africa's preparations for the 2010 soccer World Cup are receiving considerable attention as progress in planning, infrastructure and achieving a state of readiness is monitored and debated.
Official statistics cannot claim to compete with soccer in the popular imagination. However, Statistics SA's hosting of the 57th session of the International Statistical Institute (ISI) less than a year before the World Cup event is placing demands on infrastructure. Our state of readiness is under considerable scrutiny.
Statistics often seem to lead soccer, with the World Cup faithfully following the ISI at least as far as the host country is concerned: the 2001 ISI session in Korea was followed by the same country hosting the World Cup in 2002; the trend continued for Germany - ISI in 2003, World Cup in 2006; and South Africa hosts the ISI in 2009 and the World Cup in 2010.
At the 54th ISI session in Berlin in 2003, a delegation first proposed that South Africa host the 2009 gathering. Submitted on behalf of South Africa's then-ambassador to Germany, Sibusiso Bhengu, this application carried the authority of the cabinet and was jointly presented by the president of the SA Statistics Association, and the statistician-general.
Two years later, ISI's 55th session in Sydney invited South Africa to host the 57th gathering in 2009.
Although the ISI is one of the world's oldest scientific institutes, established in 1885, this will be its first meeting on African soil.
The ISI is composed of about 2 000 elected members who are recognised as the definitive leaders in the field of statistics. Its membership crosses all borders, representing about 133 countries.
This reservoir of expertise is supplemented by about 3 000 additional members of the institute's specialised sections. This includes the celebrated Bernoulli Society for Mathematical Statistics and Probability and various international associations dealing with official statistics, statistical computing and statistical education.
At its biennial meetings, members exchange ideas, develop links and discuss trends in the statistical world. The Berlin gathering, for example, saw 2 500 delegates from 110 countries participating in 87 meetings where 300 papers were discussed.
Preparations for the ISI 2009 are well under way. According to ISI guidelines, consultations between the host country and the ISI executive committee must take place in the host country, during which preparations are concluded. This week, ISI president Denise Lievesley, ISI scientific committee chairman John Kovar and the director of the ISI permanent office, Daniel Berze, are in South Africa for a first state-of-readiness consultation.
Consultation with national political leadership is encouraged, and usually involves a discussion with the minister responsible for statistics in the host country. It is anticipated that the delegation will meet with finance minister Trevor Manuel.
Hosting an ISI session will enable many local statisticians to attend this premier international meeting and establish contact with leading statisticians of the world. It will allow Statistics SA to present its programmes to an international audience, strengthening them through the critiques offered.
It will also strengthen the teaching of statistics at local universities, technikons and schools, and develop the use of statistical methods in areas such as commerce, medicine, agriculture and telecommunications. It is estimated that up to 3 000 global delegates will attend, spending 10 days at the main conference in Durban. Additional delegates will attend satellite conferences, some of which may be held in other southern African countries.
The 57th ISI session will take place at the mid-point of the 2010 round of African population and housing censuses. These are critical for improving data collection systems in Africa and for monitoring and evaluating its strategies.
ISI's presence will represent the groundswell of support for these endeavours. ISI 2009 will take place only months after South Africa's third round of democratic national elections, and less than a year before the soccer World Cup. These separate events signify the linked processes of democracy, development and South Africa's growing international role.
Pali Lehohla is South Africa's statistician-general and head of Statistics SA.