The Honorable Deputy Minister, ["Mandisi" Mpahlawa]
Mr. Ambassador;
Officials from the South African Government and USAID;
Members of the Media;
Ladies and Gentlemen:

Strong participation and concrete actions by all levels of South Africa's government--and many civil society groups -- enable United States co-operation assistance to make a difference here. Our partnership works across the country.

We work alongside our partners to teach employable skills, create jobs and markets, build houses, improve health care, address HIV/AIDS, become more expert in business and economic practices, gain access to good education, strengthen the criminal justice system, and even bring clean water to needy communities. Let me give you an example.

Yesterday, I joined National Minister of Water and Forestry, Ronnie Kasrils, in Newcastle. The Minister launched South Africa's first Multi-Jurisdictional Municipal Service District. This means that the municipalities of Uthukela, Umzinyathi, and Amajuba joined together in an innovative partnership to improve the delivery of water.

This important event happened because local officials saw the shortage of water amongst many of their people, and then worked hard to do something about it.

The three Districts began by building on their relationships with national departments to examine options. Working with the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Unit (MIIU) and the Department of Forestry and Water (DWF), these three Districts decided to form and develop this new partnership. The design and planning of the partnership built on the best international thinking available. The key factors were: how to ensure that benefits emerge from governmental decentralisation, and how to make multi-jurisdictional municipal services work. Experiences from elsewhere were adapted specifically to South Africa's needs and requirements.

This is South Africa's first multi-jurisdictional district partnership. It was possible because of the recently promulgated Municipal Systems Act. This Act is one of several major pieces of legislation that enables local challenges to be dealt with by local officials who are answerable first to local constituencies. A number of national Departments were involved, including the Department of Provincial and Local Government. The creation of this multi-district partnership was also made possible because DWF was eager to explore alternatives to get more water to more people.

In this picture, USAID's chief role has been with the MIIU. We worked closely with the South African government to design and launch the MIIU in 1998. USAID has contributed approximately 15 million Rand to the MIIU grant fund. This program helps local communities--including the three districts I've mentioned--assess how best to address their municipal service challenges. To date, the MIIU has worked with local authorities and other partners to complete partnership contracts worth over R6.5 billion in total value.

In Uthukela, the Districts, DWF and the MIIU settled upon a public-public partnership with the Department of Water and Forestry. USAID provided assistance and access to different ideas and approaches. The national and local governments took important actions and set the plan into motion. The result is clean water available for residents who need it. I want to say again that the role played by South Africans at all levels helps our co-operation assistance to work, efficiently and effectively. What we are seeing in Uthukela is an example for others to watch and learn from, both here and in other countries.

I've described my most recent experience seeing our partnership in action in South Africa. There are scores of such activities valued last year at more than R260 million. We look forward to our continuing partnership of co-operation here in South Africa for a number of years to come.

Thank you.

Further information is available from Reverie Zurba, USAID, (012) 323-8869