RACHOENE TIES LIMPOPO INFRASTRUCTURE TO BLACK TECHNICAL TALENT IN SABTACO PACT

Public Works MEC says roads and facilities must be built by engineers who reflect the province; ‘We are building Black excellence, not just fixing potholes’  

MEC for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure Tonny “Ernest” Rachoene is anchoring Limpopo’s infrastructure rollout to a new transformation pipeline, following strategic talks with the South African Black Technical and Allied Careers Organisation this week.

By Mpho Dube, Editor-in-Chief

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Polokwane — MEC for Public Works, Roads and Infrastructure Tonny “Ernest” Rachoene is anchoring Limpopo’s infrastructure rollout to a new transformation pipeline, following strategic talks with the South African Black Technical and Allied Careers Organisation this week.

The engagement with SABTACO positions the department to channel road upgrades and public facility refurbishments through Black engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, and construction managers drawn from communities historically excluded from the built environment.

“SABTACO leads transformation to ensure the built environment and engineering fields represent the country’s demographics,” Rachoene told The Azanian after the meeting. “That is exactly what Limpopo needs — skills, ownership, and delivery that reflects our people.”

SABTACO represents thousands of practitioners, graduates, technicians and students across civil, mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering, architecture, urban design, construction management, build science, geo-technical engineering and property development economics. It has branches in all nine provinces and is forging global alliances.

Its mandate — transformation, skills development in disadvantaged communities, and economic inclusion for Black professionals — mirrors Rachoene’s delivery agenda.

The MEC has prioritised road rehabilitation and the refurbishment of public facilities, work that requires sustained technical capacity.

“Skills development cannot happen in a vacuum,” Rachoene said. “We must create an environment where SABTACO members can contribute directly to Limpopo’s projects — from design to delivery. That’s how we build roads and build futures.”

Talks focused on three pillars: infrastructure development, skills development, and job creation. Technical teams are now identifying shovel-ready projects for SABTACO graduate placement, structured mentorships on road upgrades, and joint monitoring of transformation targets on department contracts.

“MEC Rachoene understands that infrastructure is not just concrete and tar — it’s about who designs it, who builds it, and who maintains it,” said a senior official present at the talks. “This is about changing the face of the sector.”

No formal memorandum has been signed, but both parties confirmed ongoing discussions to lock SABTACO expertise into the province’s delivery cycle.

‘Not just fixing potholes’  

For Rachoene, the partnership reframes the department’s mandate. “We are not just fixing potholes,” he said. “We are building a pipeline of Black excellence in engineering and construction that will serve Limpopo for decades.”

By aligning provincial spend with SABTACO’s mandate, Rachoene is betting that better roads and facilities must also mean better access for Black professionals to design, manage, and profit from them.

The move signals a shift from procurement compliance to structural inclusion — putting Limpopo’s youth and qualified Black technicians at the centre of the province’s build programme.

By aligning provincial spend with SABTACO’s mandate, Rachoene is betting that better roads and facilities must also mean better access for Black professionals to design, manage, and profit from them.