THE DIVERSITY IN MINING ISSUE | 2021
INCLUSIVITY
OPPORTUNITIES FOR ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION Inside Mining attended a webinar, hosted by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), that discussed economic opportunities for disabled people in the mining industry. Advocate Thabo Mokoena, director general, DMRE, presented the keynote address, from which the following article is transcribed.
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t is worth noting that the rise of persons with disabilities in South Africa is enshrined in our Constitution. Our government guarantees the dignity of every citizen based on a good quality of life for everyone without regarding race, colour or disability. Accordingly, the White Paper on [the] Integrated National Disability Strategy stated that among the yardsticks by which to measure a society’s respect for human rights, to evaluate the level of its maturity and its generosity of spirit, is by looking at the status that it accords to those members of society who are most vulnerable, with specific emphasis on persons with disabilities in this case. South Africa, as a signatory of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is expected to
act consistently with the provisions of the convention and its protocols. The DMRE appreciates its obligation to ensure inclusion of persons with disabilities within all facets of the country’s economy. It is indeed commendable that government continues to provide safety nets in the form of social protection through grants; however, such is a type of relief that can only go so far in addressing the needs of persons with disabilities adequately, as well as affording them with a measure of independence.
Employment and economic participation challenges The DMRE is responsible for two major economic sectors of South Africa. The two sectors are the engine of economic development and play a central role in
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