CANE - Coalition Against Nuclear Energy South Africa

In South Africa, CEO Neal Froneman has boasted that his uranium mine in Klerksdorp could rival BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam mine in Australia. Does he mean “rival” Olympic Dam as a water waster? Or poisoner? Since uranium mines are highly effective at both. This is unfortunate for the people of Klerksdorp and for the people of Beaufort West, since Brinkley Mining acquired rights to five farms with uranium prospects there.

South Africa could generate “substantial profits” from uranium enrichment, as a global shortage in uranium conversion, enrichment and nuclear fuel production capacity was imminent, said National Energy Corporation (Necsa) CEO Rob Adam.

Adam said South Africa could resolve between a third and a tenth of a coming global shortfall in conversion and enrichment capacity and that it could also deal with a part of the coming global shortfall in fuel production capacity.

Is this another nail in the coffin of democracy for South Africa? Is South Africa following in Zimbabwe’s “redistribution” footsteps by setting in place legal measures to ensure that landowners can have no redress to government decisions regarding their property? In their proposed “amendments” to the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), the Department for the Environment seems to be linking arms with the Department of Minerals and goosestepping over constitutional rights of all South Africans.

By Mariette Lieferink

John Jordi wrote: “In this particular part of the globe we have subdued the land, fenced in its creatures and harnessed its wild rivers. It was a massive task at first – foolhardy almost – but now we have emerged totally victorious. And it might be our trouble: our victory was too total. In places nature has capitulated leaving behind poisoned, lifeless streams; exhausted infertile soil; and each spring becomes more silent.” (The Star, March 10 1971)