President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent appointment of the Eminent Persons Group, assembled to guide the National Dialogue on social cohesion and nation-building, aims to foster inclusive, solutions-oriented conversations. However, as CESA, we are compelled to ask: What will it take to get more engineers at the table?

While it’s encouraging to see representation from one engineering professional – a rocket scientist and entrepreneur – the scale and complexity of our national development agenda demands that many more engineers be included in shaping the path forward.

South Africa faces deep-rooted service delivery and infrastructure challenges – areas where engineers are uniquely positioned to offer practical, solutions-driven perspectives. Engineers are not merely technocrats; they are nation-builders, thinkers, collaborators, and deeply engaged citizens with the ability to bridge policy and implementation – making them indispensable to any serious dialogue about rebuilding South Africa.

Within our own profession, we have many engineers – individuals with decades of experience, commitment to the public good and a profound understanding of the systems that underpin our society. These professionals could have significantly enriched the work of the Eminent Persons Group, particularly in addressing the country’s infrastructure and service delivery shortfalls across multiple sectors.

While we support the goals of the National Dialogue, we will continue to advocate for greater inclusion of engineering voices in national planning and decision-making. I have said it many times – the time for action is now – the future of South Africa quite literally depends on it!