Page 13 - KZN Business Sense 7.7 ebook

EMPOWERING DISABILITY EXPO AT

RICHARDS BAY

n commemorating the can exhibit and publicise its together with providing a and doing whatever it takes expo presents an opportunity for
Disability Rights Awareness corporate social investment platform to organisations to achieve an all-inclusive publicity and sales.”
IMonth, Valhalla Arts (CSI) programmes. that support artistic talents, society. As an organisation we
partnered with South32 “We started this programme access to opportunities and have ensured that each year, Mbazima’s book, Strong Wind
Hillside Aluminium to stage in 2009 to encourage the empowerment of abilities of there is a set of youth that are is an autobiography of the writer
the Disability Economic persons with disabilities. provided with an opportunity sharing with readers his journey
Empowerment Programme involvement of people with to be trained while also gaining from birth and turning deaf at
(DEEP)Expo in Richards Bay on disabilities in ensuring for A total of 30 authors work experience. It is most the age of 10 years after suffering
25 November 2021. themselves that their needs are from various backgrounds rewarding to see how the group from meningitis to his adulthood
identified, prioritised and met participated in the event, living as a deaf person.
The DEEP Expo is an in the design, implementation with 10 of them launching grows from week to week and
annual one day disability and evaluation of government, their books and making by the end of the programme Following strict Covid-19
exhibition that aims at bringing private sector and community presentations at the expo. they have acquired skills, protocols, attendance at the
educational, infrastructural development programmes and Authors and artists with experience and a definite boost event was limited. Exhibitors
and economic empowerment policies crafted and rolled-out disabilities feature as a majority of self-confidence and also and attendees included Tape
resources closer to people with for their betterment,” said Musa in this year’s edition. forged friendships.” Aids for the Blind and other
disabilities in and around E. Zulu, the creative director of One of the authors, Nenio disability organisations, select
KwaZulu-Natal as well as Valhalla Arts. Vice President of President at Mbazima commented, “I never corporations from Richards
representing a platform to Hillside Aluminium (South32), imagined that there are so many Bay, select students from
public sector institutions to This year’s theme ‘I AM Calvin Mkhabela, said they authors with disabilities out UniZul and Mangosuthu
communicate their community ART’ was designed to were thrilled to partner with there. It is difficult for persons University of Technology
outreach programmes and an showcase the disabled Valhalla Arts. “We at Hillside with disabilities to have our disability units and select
avenue where the private sector sector’s arts and literature, are committed to promoting written works in bookshops. This government departments. 

RBM TO BUILD LOCAL SMMES

s part of its commitment opportunities whilst ensuring
to creating sustainable that they have the capacity and
Acommunities and to technical skills required to fulfil
emphasise the importance contractual obligations as they
of Small Medium and Micro remain commercially viable
Enterprises (SMMEs) in growing and competitive” said Lebogang
local economies and helping Kgomongwe, RBM Supplier
create jobs, Richards Bay Minerals Development Manager.
(RBM) this week launched its
flagship Supplier Development A key success factor to supplier
Programme (SDP). development is a holistic
approach to the business
As part of the launch RBM development lifecycle which
also honoured the first cohort starts with the identification
of beneficiaries of the Supplier of preferential procurement
Development Programme. The opportunities in the business.
beneficiaries represent diverse
businesses from manufacturing to “As an organisation we believe
purified water. All these suppliers that if done right, supplier
went through the most vigour development can indeed empower
process of vetting and gap analysis RBM Managing Director, Werner Duvenhage, RBM Supplier Development team and the first cohort of beneficiaries of our local suppliers and help to
identification and yet through the mine`s flagship Supplier Development Programme signed a PLEDGE at the launch. bring about strong supply chain
it all they stood firm as they all At the launch, Werner that can help build sustainable
displayed a hunger to learn and to addressing unemployment and Charter III, which seeks to businesses,” added Kgomongwe.
better their businesses. Duvenhage, RBM`s Managing poverty alleviation, two of the improve the procurement
Director, said: “Our aim is to most pressing challenges in our of goods and services from Duvenhage added that
The two-year-long programme create an inclusive procurement country, particularly in rural historically disadvantaged the Supplier Development
helps deliver on this commitment process that will allow us to areas.” persons (HDP). Programme has a deliberate
through the development of shift spend to local SMEs and focus on women and youth as
technical skills, providing transform our supply chain. It The company’s commitment “Our mandate is to create an the two groups usually are at the
funding support and facilitating is imperative that our supplier to SME development is closely environment where suppliers receiving end of unemployment
a broader access to markets for development and procurement aligned to the regulatory from our host communities and limited opportunities for
programme participants. efforts are geared towards requirement of the Mining could compete in procurement growth and development. 

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