Growth, strategic partnerships and SADC expansion

The Institute of Municipal Engineers Southern Africa (IMESA) is hosting its 2013 conference in Port Elizabeth at the re-vitalised and hugely expanded Boardwalk Hotel and Casino. The venue is stunning, and more importantly, packed; this year’s conference is celebrating the most delegates ever.

President’s address

The opening function was networker’s dream, with pretty much anyone important in public infrastructure in attendance.

Gowth

IMESA President, Frank Stephens, delivered his president’s address to a large gathering and drew a very specific focus to the key direction for the Institute. Stephens noted that membership of the institute is undergoing a growth spurt. “I sign acceptance of more than 10 applications for membership a week. Happily, many of the applicants are young – a much needed demographic in municipal engineering. Membership of the Institute now stands at around 1200 and is set to grow further.”

Strategic partnership

Institutes are vital to the functioning of their industry and the ongoing development of their members. Stephens appeared delighted to announce a strategic partnership with the South African Institute of Civil Engineers (SAICE) –having signed an MOU and having involvement in the Civilution initiative. This critical partnership makes perfect sense for South Africa today, focussing on the responsibility engineers play in – not only in building society but in shaping it too. Civilution aims to create cooperation between civil engineers and government – and IMESA is surely the nexus of that relationship

Beyond South African Border

IMESA is taking steps towards representation in the SADC region. Aiming to aid and assist municipal growth in service and infrastructure delivery in the SADC region. Stephens noted that IMESA has formally reached out municipal engineers in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland and Mocambique. Several countries have indicated a desire for membership of IMESA, with Zimababwe – which is being represented at this conference – being likely the first to take this critical and exciting step. Stephens – a board member of the International Federation of Municipal Engineers  – has attended two board meetings of the federation; one in New Zealand, the other in the US – and is going on to present a paper on IMESA in Iceland later this year.

A serious voice

Stephens concluded by noting that IMESA’s opinion an input is regularly sought at National Government level, and has engaged very seriously with Treasury, SALGA, MISA and ECSA – and that this assistance is being sought out more and more. IMESA is force to be reckoned with and continues to actively – and humbly – shape the very country we live in. It is a proud and important time in municipal engineering.

Federation of African Engineering Organisations (FAEO)

Another very proud moment for South Africa and IMESA is the fact that one IMESA’s members was recently elected President of the FAEO. Dr Martin van Leeven, is longstanding member of IMESA and is also the MD of ILISO consulting. FAEO was formed in 2011 in Switzerland, it finalised its constitution in 2012 and is headquartered in Nigeria. Having a South African is its first president is an immense achievement. Van Veelen addressed the audience at the opening event and focussed on what sustainability is really all about. Noting the approaching deadline of the Millennium Development Goals and the fact that a great majority of them will not have been met, van Veelen noted that these are to be replaced by so-called Sustainable Development Goals. Van Veelen made an important point that in this instance, sustainable does not relate to environmental concerns so much as infrastructure that last and works. These goals relate almost entirely to the sphere of municipal engineering and with the constitution of the FAEO, the ability to deliver on these goals is going to be far greater than ever before.

The opening night brought together the suppliers, the manufacturers and the engineers in a relaxed but focussed evening and the promise of a great conference.