Statistics South Africa (SA) Statistician-General Dr Pali Lehohla will step down from his position at the end of this month, making way for the new StatsSA head Risenga Maluleke, who is poised to take over on November 1.

Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Performance, Monitoring, Evaluation and Administration Jeff Radebe made the announcement on Friday.

The Statistics Act 6 of 1999, under Section 6, allows for the President to appoint an “appropriately qualified person as the Statistician-General who is also the head of Stats SA.”

Maluleke has been with Stats SA for 20 years and is currently deputy director-general for statistical collections and outreach, responsible for the data collection of censuses and sample surveys, international statistical development, as well as communications, marketing and stakeholder relations.

Stats SA thanked Lehohla for his “dedicated leadership over the years, his immense contribution to Stats SA, the statistics fraternity in the region and the world over”.

It also extended its well wishes to Maluleke on his new appointment.

Meanwhile, Lehohla said he was pleased by the appointment of Maluleke.

“In Risenga we have a well-grounded leader with balance, instilling fairness and justice in all his dealings, he has enduring strength, he imbues humility, he is a servant leader, a village boy who with agility adapts to metropoles of the world, and who is ready to take on any adversity with a singularly determined mind for finding solutions. My relay is done; I am passing the baton to a well-tested professional and leader,” said Lehohla.