‘Political hyenas’ using nuclear deal for ‘self-enrichment’ – Vavi

The push to conclude a nuclear power deal instead of introducing much-needed and cheaper renewable energy in the country is part of a plan to capture key state institutions and continue with self-enrichment by individuals already feeding from the state trough.

This was the view expressed by the new trade union federation scheduled to be launched in Boksburg between April 21 to 23. A total of 1 800 delegates from 21 unions representing 684 865 members will attend.

The new federation’s steering committee convener, Zwelinzima Vavi, said they vehemently opposed the planned nuclear power deal saying it “opens up space for political hyenas to engage in primitive accumulation”.

Vavi said the federation agreed that the imposition of a nuclear deal could not be discussed outside the deepening political crisis. He said they saw the deal as part of an aggressive programme to capture key institutions of the state for self-enrichment.

The federation said the cost of nuclear power per kilowatt is R1.17 compared to 62 cents for solar and wind. This does not take into consideration the high costs of disposing of nuclear waste.

It was strange Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan’s budget speech made no mention whatsoever of the nuclear build programme when the same was so aggressively advanced in Jacob Zuma’s State of the Nation address, said Vavi.

He said the federation would reject the nuclear option as a solution to the country’s energy needs even if a crisis did exist.

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