The Portfolio Committee on Energy received a briefing from the Department of Energy on the five international nuclear agreements. The agreements were tabled to Parliament on the 11 June and referred to the Committee on 5 August.

Chairperson of the Committee, Mr Fikile Majola, said the nuclear agreements have been tabled before to Committee for consideration, not for reporting to the National Assembly. The Portfolio Committee expressed concerns about the different formats of the agreements. Members questioned the department if there were different contracts for the various vendors.

In its response, the department said countries negotiated uniquely with South Africa (SA) and have expressed interest based on the capacity to help SA to achieve its strategic goal for the country. The Committee welcomed the cost benefit analysis that the department and National Treasury was undertaking with regards to the nuclear build programme. Members of the Committee said the cost benefit analysis was important to know what the country would be entering into.

Minister of Energy, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, said South Africa had not struck a deal so far with any country on nuclear expansion. She dismissed the projected cost of one trillion rand of the nuclear build which has been reported in the media. She said National Treasury and the Department of Energy were still working on a funding model. “Once we have taken a decision as a government and Cabinet, we will communicate. There is no secrecy," she said.

The Committee sought an answer as to when the two outstanding agreements with Japan and Canada would be concluded. Members of the Committee accepted the presentation and said it was empowering the country through industrialisation of the economy.

Members of the Committee reiterated that South Africa would not entertain anti-nuclear activists. The Committee is also of the view that it would not entertain media speculations that provided wrong information to the public. The Committee said people who alleged that the country favoured nuclear over renewable energy were not telling the truth. The country made a pronouncement that SA was for an energy mix, which included nuclear.

“The Portfolio Committee on Energy, having considered the five (5) inter-governmental nuclear agreements, tabled in terms of section 231 (3) of the Constitution, 1996, note and accept the Department of Energy report on the agreements,” said Mr Majola. The Committee considered and adopted the international agreements.

Issued by Parliamentary Communication Services on behalf of the Chairperson for the Portfolio Committee on Energy, Mr Fikile Majola