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"A Journey of Partnership"
Municipal Infrastructure Investment Unit Book Launch held on March 23, 2006.  Remarks by Ms. Danai Magugumela, CEO, MIIU

Good Evening. The spectacular video screenings that we are viewing tonight tell the story, and the publication to be launched tonight will tell even more. It therefore gives me great pleasure and pride to be tasked with giving a very brief testimony to our proud eight year history, to give a verbal preview of the book, “A Journey of Partnership”, and to make certain acknowledgements.

The book is a very captivating read, designed to appeal to a wide range of readers. It is an autobiographical and historical account, which has the benefit of remaining a timeless, proudly South African oration. The book comprises five main chapters ordered chronologically, which are packaged so well that they can read independently of each other, but obviously are best consumed collectively.

Hatching the Idea tells of the innovation of the parties who conceived the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Unit (MIIU). The video portrays how South African minds assessed the local government challenge, and then went a step further to devise a tangible solution. However, it would be remiss of me not to describe the involvement of our prime donor, the United States Agency for International Development. A bilateral agreement between USAID and the South African government resulted in financial support being provided to the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Framework, which was developed in the context of the larger RDP [Reconstruction and Development Program]. In the first year, USAID provided R24 million to complement the Department of Constitutional Development start up contribution of R20 million. USAID then sustained this initial contribution over the 8 year history of MIIU with technical assistance in the form of Municipal Service Partnership experts sourced from the US, who have been deployed to MIIU as members of staff. These staff members have been seconded from PADCO consulting firm based in Washington, DC, in the US.  Telling the Story gives a richly personal account by the CEOs past and present, relating the dynamics peculiar to each woman’s stint in the driving seat of the MIIU.  We have not screened video footage of this chapter for tonight, so you will find this particularly refreshing to read. Delivering on the Mandate is the much sought-after account of “what exactly does MIIU technical assistance and funding produce?” I am sure you will agree with me that the footage of the sample of projects we have just seen was simply formidable. The book concludes with the fifth part, Closing the Chapter – which skillfully knits together what the triumphs of the institution have been, and how the legacy has been captured for posterity. As a supplement to the book, we will include a CD that will archive a library of best practices and other technical information for reference beyond the soft story of the book. The CD is still in the production room and therefore will be made distributed to the addresses of all of us here tonight at or around 15 March.

Acknowledgements are due to a number of parties for successfully bringing the book to life and, indeed, for putting on such an elegant evening.  Cut to Black Media and Masake Communications, it has been challenging to meet deadlines and to accommodate our ever-changing minds, but in the final analysis you should be proud of the book, the video, as well as tonight’s event. From within the MIIU, I really must single out Ms. Asha Singhania: thank you for your zeal and energy in running with planning of this event – we could never have achieved this without you.

The Department for International Development (DFID) is responsible for the funding of the book as well as for the cost of tonight’s event. Thank you sincerely.

I would also like to acknowledge parties who have been key to our success, as follows:
The Department of Provincial and Local Government and the Development Bank of Southern Africa, for providing a mandate and a home for the MIIU. The Public Private Partnerships Unit of National Treasury for recent adoption of part of our project pipeline. The Board of Directors for tireless, charitable service to our cause, with formidable tenacity. The dedicated and hard working staff who have upheld the commendable reputation of our institution and, of course, their loved ones at home, who undoubtedly have had to lend support during this uneasy time.  May I ask the staff and the Board to please stand so that you can be recognized? (Applause). Thank you very much. Let me now take the opportunity to wish you all very well beyond the MIIU -- may you seize even greater opportunities where life leads you!

In closing, it is incumbent on me to specially recognize our long–standing international supporters: besides the USAID and PADCO, we also recognize the contributions by RTI consulting firm in the US, the Cities Alliance and the DFID. We are honored to have the USAID and the DFID address us in the next part of the programme, and I will now proceed to introduce our next speaker.  The remarks by USAID are to be presented tonight by Ms Sara Wines, a lady whom I have enjoyed working with for the past year and a half.

Ms Wines’ career at USAID spans 17 years, during which time she directed regional offices in Latin America and the Caribbean, managed housing and urban environment programs in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central America. During her career at USAID, Ms. Wines has promoted public-private alliances in finance and project implementation, both between U.S. organizations and those in developing countries. She founded USAID’s “City Links” program used worldwide to bring U.S. local government expertise to housing and local government development programs.  She developed USAID’s Sustainable Cities Program to fund demonstration projects in public/private partnerships for urban service delivery.

Prior to her joining USAID, Ms. Wines worked in the banking industry and private consulting field. Ms. Wines holds a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California at Davis.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in giving a warm welcome to Ms Sarah Wines.