8 Years Since Landmark Nuclear Court Ruling, Civil Society Calls out Risky Nuclear Plans

Today, 24 April 2025, ahead of South Africa's Freedom Day, the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI), Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, Project 90 by 2030, Africa Climate Alliance, Koeberg Alert Alliance, The Green Connection, Heinrich Böll Foundation, and concerned citizens – held the 8th anniversary event of the Nuclear Deal Court Case ruling. The event marked the significance of the illegal R1-trillion nuclear deal, which many believed would have bankrupted the country. The date also marked the 39th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, a sobering reminder of the risks associated with nuclear energy.

South Africa is once again at a decisive crossroads in determining its energy future. As the government finalises the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2024), civil society organisations are sounding the alarm about a return to the same flawed path: a dangerous and expensive plan for more nuclear power at the expense of real, renewable energy solutions.

While framed as a technical planning document based on modelling, draft IRP 2024, which is not yet public, is deeply political. From the choice to prioritise price over carbon emissions and job creation to defining nuclear as “low-carbon,” the plan uses the climate crisis to justify expanding outdated, risky technologies. The reality: renewables offer the lowest emissions, yet receive far less policy attention than nuclear.

“South Africa cannot afford to repeat past mistakes by locking itself into expensive, dangerous and inflexible energy systems,” says Francesca de Gasparis, Executive Director of SAFCEI. “We need an urgent, bold policy shift toward renewable energy that serves people and the planet—not a future dictated by geopolitics and vested interests.”

Nuclear energy is inflexible by design. Plants operate at constant output and require flexible backup to stabilise the grid. This is why the situation in Ukraine is so dangerous at the moment: Nuclear plants continue operating without grid backup because conventional infrastructure has been destroyed.

“Nuclear doesn’t just cost billions—it locks us into a fossil-dependent future by design,” says Makoma Lekalakala, Director of ELA JHB. “This is not just about one reactor or one policy—this is about preventing an entire system that is incompatible with climate justice and energy democracy.”

“A key part of our democracy is active, meaningful and fully-informed public participation”, says Lorna Fuller, Director of Project 90 by 2030. “With little to no public participation on both the IRP 2024 draft and limited engagement as it relates to nuclear inclusion in our energy future, it begs the question if profits of big corporations are being put before the voices and needs of people who are most affected.

“Communities must not be sidelined in decisions that directly impact their health, environment, and livelihoods,” says Liziwe McDaid, Strategic Lead, The Green Connection. “Real energy justice means putting people at the centre—not corporations or foreign governments. We deserve a transparent, inclusive process that prioritises clean, affordable energy for all, not just profit for a few.”

If implemented, the current draft IRP 2024 would see South Africa building up to 14.5 GW of nuclear power—around 9 to 11 new reactors—and 9.5 GW of gas-fired generation. And with the country’s energy infrastructure in crisis, there is growing political and financial pressure to turn to Russia and China—countries already positioning themselves to provide nuclear packages, often with long-term, opaque financial terms.

“This is how lock-in happens,” adds de Gasparis. “Once we go down this path, we’ll be living with the consequences for the rest of the century.”

SAFCEI and Earthlife Africa stress that energy decisions must not be made behind closed doors or based on flawed models. Public safety, public participation, affordability, environmental responsibility, and climate justice must be the pillars of our energy future.

“Civil society, communities, and concerned citizens must come together now,” says Ntombizodidi Mapapu, Senior Energy and Climate Justice Coordinator at SAFCEI. “The IRP is not a neutral roadmap—it’s a political vision. And that vision is leading us away from clean, affordable energy, not toward it.”

SAFCEI and ELA JHB's second legal intervention last year once again prevented new nuclear energy procurement plans. This harks back to the legal intervention in 2015–2017 when we came together to stop the original corrupt nuclear deal from going forward. Today, civil society actors are challenging decisions like the Koeberg nuclear power plant life extension—not just for safety reasons but due to cost and loss of opportunity to expand into more renewable energy.

“Had we not acted in court eight years ago, South Africa would be locked into building new nuclear reactors with no choice to switch to more affordable climate-smart energy options today,” says Lekalakala. “Holding government accountable is one of our most powerful tools to protect the public interest and open the space for a renewable energy future.”

“Nuclear power, while often touted as a solution to energy needs, comes with an exorbitant price tag. The proposed deal would have plunged South Africa into unsustainable debt, burdening future generations,” says Lydia Petersen. “The costs of building and maintaining nuclear facilities are astronomical, and the financial risks are compounded by the long-term expenses of waste management and decommissioning.”

We still have a choice. But time is running out. We can not allow political deals to lock us into a century of nuclear and gas dependence. We need to stand together to fight for a clean, just, renewable energy future. The time to act is now.