Halting nuclear build with pen and paper

THE events of the past few weeks have revealed a South Africa I had begun to think was lost. Of all the peoples in the world, we seem to rejoice in taking things to the very edge.

In 2010 the World Cup soccer stadiums were still being completed as the opening ceremony closed.

Today, we teeter on the brink of ruin as a rogue President Jacob Zuma treats his government and his National Treasury as mere playthings in a game between him and his friends.

The disastrous decision that looms is whether to sign contracts to buy up to 9 600MW of nuclear power. It would cost much more (especially since our downgrades) than the trillion rands once estimated.

Only the Russians meet the criteria that Eskom’s chief nuclear officer, David Nicholls, will lay down — that the reactors are already running, in Russia and in export markets; that they must control their own intellectual property (the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese all use licensed technology); and that they must have built a reactor on time in the past 10 years. I know this because he told me.

But watching the crowds descend on the Union Buildings and spill into the streets of our major cities, watching the Zuma faction in the ANC duck and weave and threaten as it tries to resist, it occurs to me that we have the power to step back from the cliff of Zuma’s making.

Sure, new Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba will promise to spend on nuclear only what we can afford. But that’s not good enough.

If the opposition parties can march together as they did on Wednesday then it would be easy, next time, to read out this letter, which they would have all signed.

It would be sent to all possible suppliers of the nuclear technology the Zupta conspiracy is looking for.

It would be sent to the export credit guarantee institutions in their countries. To the courts that adjudicate international commercial disputes, to the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, to the top five banks in each of the Brics member states, to the Brics executive and to all possible South African construction or construction materials companies which might become involved in the planned nuclear power plants.

Copies to Eskom, the Presidency, the Treasury and the Department of Trade and Industry . . . “Dear Sirs/Mesdames, “We, the undersigned leaders of opposition parties represented in the National Assembly of the Republic of South Africa, write to you trusting that you will understand our note as a clear and unambiguous cautionary.

“We confidently expect that we will be in a position to form a government in South Africa after an election in our country in the first half of 2019.

“As such, we wish to inform you now that a decision by the current government of South Africa to purchase up to 9 600MW of nuclear power is the result of a corrupt, irrational and unaffordable conspiracy inside the regime and that when we come to office we shall not honour any agreements entered into by the current government in this matter.

“The executive of our country has been captured by a small group for their personal financial gain.

“We will, upon taking power, immediately halt all work on, and payments for, the nuclear programme.

“We will immediately begin forensic investigations into how the decisions to sign purchase agreements were entered into.

“In South Africa, with an already large surplus of electricity, rationality becomes a key factor in our courts. We will prosecute individuals and companies, local and foreign, that have participated in launching this reckless venture.

“We will require contractors immediately to dismantle structures that may have been built and require that their sites of construction be returned to their original condition, at their cost.

“We wish to caution any contractor considering becoming involved in this ‘captured’ project to reconsider.

“Be very careful. Our new administration will act with great speed, conviction and resolution against this project.

“Yours, et cetera” and signed by Mmusi Maimane, Julius Malema, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Bantu Holomisa, Kenneth Meshoe, Mosiuoa Lekota and the rest of the opposition.

I’m not a lawyer and my language is tame. But I know a few savages who happen to be lawyers and who could do a much better job scaring people.

The thing is, we can save ourselves. Let no one say they didn’t know.

We will, upon taking power, immediately halt all work on, and payments for, the nuclear programme