Share

Zuma: Nuclear plan will roll out at pace we can afford

Cape Town – South Africa’s nuclear build programme will roll out at a pace the country can afford, said President Jacob Zuma during his State of the Nation Address on Thursday.

Zuma said nuclear energy will form part of South Africa’s energy mix.

“Our plan is to introduce 9600MW of nuclear energy in the next decade in addition to Koeberg nuclear station,” he said.

“We will test the market to ascertain the true cost of building a modern nuclear power plant,” he said. “Let me emphasise, we will only procure nuclear on a scale and pace that our country can afford.”

On December 26, Cabinet approved the process for the Department of Energy (DoE) to officially call for the request for proposals, which DoE director general Thabane Zulu said at the time would assist in developing a funding model.

This followed a year of inter-governmental agreements between South Africa and various countries with nuclear capabilities, a process that is legally binding before any contract can be awarded.

Controversy around the programme started in 2014, when Russia’s state-owned nuclear company, Rosatom, prematurely announced it had won the contract, after President Jacob Zuma secretly visited Russia. It later retracted its statement and told Fin24 in 2015 that it was a public relations mistake.

“Controversy over Rosatom's announcement intensified after a local newspaper reported Zuma personally negotiated the deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin,” AFP reported in 2014.

There is mounting pressure from opposition politicians, economists and environmentalists to make the process more transparent, as there are various issues, such as financing the programme, with estimates ranging from R250bn to a whopping R1.5trn.

Proponents of the programme believe this nuclear plan will unlock South Africa’s industrialisation potential and secure its energy security.

Critics believe it will bankrupt the state and hand over its sovereignty to another country.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.9%
Rand - Pound
24.10
-0.9%
Rand - Euro
20.59
-0.7%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.42
-0.9%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.8%
Platinum
915.75
-0.8%
Palladium
1,028.36
-3.5%
Gold
2,159.96
+0.2%
Silver
25.03
-0.6%
Brent Crude
85.34
-0.1%
Top 40
66,252
0.0%
All Share
72,431
0.0%
Resource 10
53,317
0.0%
Industrial 25
100,473
0.0%
Financial 15
16,622
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders