Minister to face MPs over nukes

ENERGY Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi will face MPs on Tuesday over the nuclear deal after the Western Cape High Court scrapped it.

Kubayi said yesterday that she was still studying the judgment and would take a decision soon on whether to appeal against it or not.

The court had found that Parliament had to approve any nuclear deal and the department of energy has to determine South Africa’s nuclear needs. The court also nullified South Africa’s co-operation agreements with the US, Russia and South Korea.

But yesterday, analysts warned the government not to appeal against the matter as it was a difficult and unwinnable case.

In addition, they said, the project was too expensive and would bankrupt the state.

In her meeting with the portfolio committee on energy on Tuesday, Kubayi will be urged to take MPs into her confidence.

Committee chairman Fikile Majola confirmed that they would meet Kubayi and discuss the court judgment and the way forward.

Majola said it was not the decision of Parliament to procure nuclear energy, but that of the cabinet. They would engage with Kubayi on what the next course of action would be for the government.

“Our role as Parliament is oversight.

“From our side, we will abide with the court decision,” said Majola.

He said the matter was of national importance.

Professor Somadoda Fikeni of Unisa said the judgment had caused more damage for President Zuma and the government.

“It adds to reputational risk. When a government finds itself losing major cases against several counsels from civil society, the public may begin to doubt the sincerity of the government,” said Fikeni.

He said the government had been warned several times by civil society and some within the government not to push ahead with the nuclear deal owing to its excessive cost.

He said the judgment followed major rulings, including Nkandla, which had damaged Zuma’s reputation.

Damage

Fikeni warned that if the deal was pushed through for any other reason, it would be challenged in the courts again.

The chief economist at Efficient Group, Dawie Roodt, said there were two issues that came out of the judgment.

One was that the government had not followed the correct processes with the deal.

The second was that the project was just too expensive for the country.

“The second issue has nothing to do with the court.

“We don’t have the money to buy one pencil more. “It is finished,” said Roodt. “If the politicians want to go ahead and bankrupt the state, they can go ahead and do it.

“But there is no money,” said Roodt.

It is estimated that the nuclear programme would cost between R500 billion and R1 trillion, but the government has not put a figure to it.