Nuclear Nightmare: South Africa’s Desperate Attempt to Keep the Lights On

The Energy Minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, is about to unleash a nuclear behemoth on the unsuspecting public. A 2.5GW nuclear power plant, bigger than the Koeberg plant, is set to be approved by national treasury next month. But will this nuclear nightmare be the solution to South Africa’s energy crisis, or just a recipe for disaster?

Ramokgopa is peddling the latest nuclear technology as a magic bullet, claiming it’s “rapid to deploy, relatively cheaper and more efficient.” But what about the risks? What about the environmental and health consequences of nuclear power? And what about the fact that Eskom, the embattled electricity provider, is already struggling to keep the lights on?

The energy crisis has been exacerbated by years of mismanagement and corruption at Eskom, resulting in GDP growth of just 0.7% in 2023. But will throwing more nuclear power at the problem really solve the issue? Or will it just create a new set of problems for future generations to deal with?

Eskom has finally stopped implementing rolling power cuts, but at what cost? The electricity provider is still plagued by ageing generation facilities and corruption. And now they’re asking us to trust them with a massive nuclear power plant?

The writing is on the wall: South Africa’s energy crisis is a ticking time bomb, and nuclear power is just a Band-Aid solution. Will we learn from our mistakes, or will we continue to gamble with our future?

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