Safcei: We want to tell MPs in fancy cars that SA doesn't need nuclear

Cape Town – Anti-nuclear group the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (Safcei) staged a protest outside Parliament on Wednesday morning, ahead of Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba’s Budget Speech.

Safcei spokesperson Liz McDaid said: "We’ve been standing here since 2014 when the nuclear deal was signed by the Russian government."

The new nuclear build programme would cost South Africa an estimated R1trn.

"This would have meant there would be no money for schooling, no money for health, no money for social grants, and all of this would have disappeared into one project, which we don’t need." 

McDaid said the group stands in front of Parliament's precinct every Wednesday as MPs come in for the caucus in their "fancy cars", to send a message that South Africa does not need a nuclear deal.

Last year energy expert Ted Blom cautioned that "President Jacob Zuma's government has already confirmed that it is beholden to the Russian deal, and their delivery of those contracts to Russia is allegedly behind. So, expect renewed vigour from Eskom and the Department of Energy to bulldoze these through".

• READ: Electricity costs could be sliced by 90% - energy expert

Blom said he was 'convinced' that nuclear will be pushed through the moment South African citizens take their "eye off the ball". 

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