Nuclear deal secrecy continues as release of IAEA report blocked

31 August 2015

The DA can confirm that the Department of Energy (DoE) will not be releasing the International Atomic Energy Association’s (IAEA) South Africa report 2013 by the end of August, as promised by Deputy Director-General for Nuclear Energy in the DoE, Zizamele Mbambo

In an interview with the Sunday Times yesterday, Mbambo committed to releasing the report by the end of the month.

“I promise you that the IAEA report will be released in its entirety before the end of August, with an improvement plan. I can show you the IAEA report now, if you want,” said Mbambo.

While the DA welcomes this attempted move towards transparency by the Department itself, it is quite clear that the Deputy Director-General has been reined in by his political masters, the Minister of Energy, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, being chief among them.

It is with this view that in tomorrow’s Portfolio Committee on Energy, I will be asking the Deputy Director-General directly as to why this sudden about-turn on the release was actioned, as well as who instructed him to renege on his promise. 

I will also be requesting that the Chairperson of the Energy Committee, Fikile Majola, on behalf of the Committee ensures that the IAEA report is tabled for consideration, in terms of Rule 138 of the National Assembly.

The report, which measures South Africa’s nuclear capabilities and readiness, has been kept under wraps for the last two years. The DA has submitted two applications in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) for the release of the report, with both being rejected.

The only logical conclusion for such unremitting secrecy is that the report’s findings are damning and do not support the ANC’s obsessive commitment to nuclear energy.  

The DA is opposed to this costly secretive nuclear deal which has the real potential to destroy any prospects of future economic growth and job creation. 

The DA believes that any action taken by government ought to be conducted in an honest and transparent manner. Until the IAEA report is made public, an informed decision on the procurement of nuclear cannot be taken. 

Issued by Gordon Mackay, DA Shadow Minister of Energy