Eskom
The Minister of Energy and Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramakgopa has announced that the government was withdrawing the nuclear procurement determination that had been gazetted in January.
The Minister made the announcement at a media briefing on Friday.
It came after the DA threatened to serve court papers on the Minister and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa over the government’s decision to procure 2500 MW of new nuclear power energy.
The move was also supported by civil society organisations, including SAFCEI and Earthlife Africa, who said there was not sufficient public participation in the process.
The Southern African Faith Communities Environment Institute also argued that the country should procure nuclear energy at the “pace and scale” that it can afford.
“The DA’s persistence in pursuing legal action and highlighting these concerns played a crucial role in achieving this outcome,” said MP, Kevin Mileham.
He hailed the Minister’s decision as a victory for accountability, saying they will ensure that government decisions are guided by transparency, legality, and public participation.
"We will scrutinise the demand profile, one of the conditions that required proof that nuclear energy is necessary and appropriate to meet future demand," he added.
Speaking earlier on Friday, Minister Ramakgopa, said that he agrees with the arguments put forward by the parties contesting the decision, that Nersa should have subjected the “suspensive conditions” related to the programme to further public scrutiny.
“The last thing we want is to do a major build programme on the back of suspicion that the Department and the government are hiding something from the public,” he said.
Ramakgopa said he was going to “democratize” the process as there is nothing to hide and he was therefore acceding to the requests of the applicants for more scrutiny of the process.
He subsequently announced the withdrawal of the Gazette for that public participation to happen.
"Nuclear energy is, and will remain, a critical component of South Africa’s energy mix, offering a low-carbon, reliable source of electricity that can contribute significantly to the country’s energy security and climate goals," Ramakgopa said.
