Mineral resources and energy minister Gwede Mantashe says that more nuclear energy is to be introduced, and he will not look kindly on opposition to it.
Speaking at an ANC conference in the Eastern Cape on Saturday, he took aim at the board of the National Nuclear Regulator, stating: ‘If you resist nuclear and you [are] a board member, I fire you, simple. You can’t be in a board of something you’re not advocating for. We want nuclear there in Port Elizabeth.’
Mantashe is a proponent of more nuclear energy for South Africa. Last month, he told the Daily Maverick that the intention remained to build nuclear capacity, and that while no timelines had been set, his view was that the sooner this occurred, the better.
Earlier this year, Mantashe dismissed Peter Becker – an activist opposed to expansion of nuclear facilities – from the NRR’s board. Becker has launched a challenge to this.
[Image: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/atom-physics-atomic-nucleus-neutron-618331/]