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The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) announced on Monday that its subsidiary, NTP Radioisotopes, has reinstated with immediate effect three senior executives who were put on special leave.
A fourth executive opted for an early retirement, Necsa said in a statement.
The executives, placed on special leave following a safety scare at its Pelindaba facility in November last year, were NTP managing director Tina Eboka, head of strategic operations Gavin Ball, compliance head Gerhard Wortmann and Benji Steynberg, the executive manager for waste and maintenance.
According to the statement, the NTP Board has also resolved to review the organisational structure to enhance safety management within the organisation.
NTP is a global supplier of radiation-based products for healthcare, such as cancer treatment, as well as for industrial uses. Although wholly owned by Necsa, NTP is run as a separate company with its own board and management.
Necsa said the reinstatement followed the "conclusion of constructive engagements between the affected employees and the Chairperson of the NTP Board, Dr Namane Magau".
"The reinstatement brings to an end a process which was initiated after a radiochemical complex incident that occurred in November 2017."
Stability
Magau said it was important that NTP should regain stability and tackle its current challenges. "The Board puts this responsibility on the shoulders of all its critical employees so as to maintain the global standing of the organisation as one of the top three nuclear medicine global producers.
"This task also rests on all staff members rallying behind this leadership," he said.
Necsa Group CEO Phumzile Tshelane welcomed the "positive development" and noted that "NTP plays a critical role in the South African economy and is also a crucial player in the health sector globally".
He said this was a global standing that not only made the country proud, but also gave a lifeline to millions of cancer patients.
The NTP Board said in the statement it would rally behind the senior executives to ensure that the organisation grew in strides in the global markets, and ensured that affordable nuclear medicine was accessible domestically and globally.
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