MEC "DIKGEREKGERE" RACHOENE BUILDS THE CAPABLE STATE: 140 NEW WORKERS JOIN LIMPOPO'S DELIVERY MACHINE
From clean audits and 590 new jobs to R26.9m in skills — Public Works MEC says "We removed bottlenecks. Now we deliver"
By Mpho Dube, Editor-in-Chief
The Azanian | Truth. Fearless. Unfiltered.
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POLOKWANE— The hall was full of new faces, new uniforms, and new hope.
Today, Limpopo MEC for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure, Tonny "Dikgerekgere" Ernest Rachoene, welcomed 140 newly appointed employees into the department. It is the biggest single intake this year and the latest proof that the ANC-led 7th Administration is serious about building a capable, responsive state.
But this was not just a welcome ceremony. It was a report back. A moment to show Limpopo that in 12 months, Public Works has moved from fixing systems to fixing roads, buildings and lives.
Known across the province as "Dikgerekgere" — the one who gets things moving — MEC Rachoene walked among the recruits, not above them. He spoke to artisans, engineers, administrators and EPWP graduates who will now be deployed to the department’s 36 Cost-Centres and District offices in Vhembe, Mopani, Capricorn, Sekhukhune and Waterberg.
"I congratulate each of you," the MEC said. "You did not get here by chance. You earned it through hard work. From today, you are the face of Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure. People will judge government by how you treat them, how fast you fix, and how honestly you serve."
He was direct about the mandate: "Our people are waiting for potholes to be filled. For gravel roads to be regravelled. For clinics and schools to be maintained. For infrastructure that changes lives. You are the engine of that delivery. At the 36 Cost-Centres, the work starts with you. Today."
Phakana Hlabirwa urged discipline, integrity and urgency. "Work tirelessly. But know this: we will not deploy you and abandon you. We will walk with you. We will give you training, tools, and leadership."
The 140 new hires do not come in isolation. They come into a department that has been re-engineered from the inside.
In just one year, MEC Rachoene’s leadership has produced measurable results:
1. CLEAN GOVERNANCE
The department secured an unqualified audit opinion for the 2025/26 financial year — within 12 months of his appointment. The Auditor-General cited improved financial management, accountability and consequence management. "We removed bottlenecks," Rachoene said. "We put systems in place. Now money goes to service, not to waste."
2. JOBS AND CAPACITY
Over 590 new permanent personnel have been appointed in 18 months. 350 of them are young people. By July 2026, another 238 posts will be filled, with 143 already approved for the new financial year. This is about energizing all 36 road infrastructure cost-centres so no district is left behind.
3. SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE
In June, the MEC launched a R26.9 million skills programme with MERSETA and CETA at Peter Mokaba Stadium. 210 young apprentices are now being trained as electricians, welders, plumbers, carpenters and bricklayers. Enterprise Development workshops are included so they can become business owners, not just employees. "We are turning Youth Month into real skills, real jobs, and real infrastructure," he said then.
4. ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE MOVE
Under the 21 New Roads initiative and #DikgerekgereWednesdays, teams are on the ground weekly. Flood-damaged routes have been restored. Potholes patched at scale. Government buildings maintained. Every project now carries strict conditions: SMMEs, youth, women and EPWP participants must benefit. "If we build and no one eats, we have not built at all," the MEC has said before.
The induction comes as #DikgerekgereWednesdays gains momentum. It is the MEC’s signature programme: every Wednesday, teams must be visible in communities grading roads, painting buildings, engaging residents.
"Every Wednesday must mean something in Limpopo," Rachoene told the new staff. "It must mean a road graded. A building painted. A community visited. That is how we build trust. That is how we show that government works."
He linked it directly to the ANC’s mandate. "Under the leadership of the ANC, we are saying no community must be left behind. Whether you are in Musina or Jane Furse, Thabazimbi or Giyani — our teams must be present, visible and responsive."
The new employees said they felt the energy.
Lebo from Capricorn, now posted to a district cost-centre: "We are impressed. The MEC did not just welcome us, he gave us direction. He told us why our work matters."
Thulani from Sekhukhune: "To have a leader who says ‘work tirelessly but we will support you’ gives us confidence. We are ready to serve."
Even stakeholders have noticed. Contralesa leadership has praised Rachoene for respecting traditional leaders. Business forums have welcomed the faster approvals and tighter monitoring. In the Legislature, Portfolio Committee reports on LDPWRI and RAL were adopted positively because, as the MEC told MPs: "I account because the work speaks."
Cde Tonny Rachoene’s rise is no accident. Former ANCYL Provincial Chair, PEC member, and now MEC — he has combined political grounding with administrative discipline.
His Honours in Public Administration, his community foundation work, and his annual charity tournament all point to one thing: a leader who believes service starts with people.
"Let us go out there and make Limpopo work," he concluded to applause. "Let us make our people proud. Let us make the ANC proud. A re šomeng!"
As the 140 left the hall to be deployed, one message was clear: Public Works under "Dikgerekgere" is no longer talking about delivery. It is delivering.
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