Government has finally responded to Earthlife Africa Johannesburg (ELA) and SAFCEI's court papers. The court case was launched in October 2015, and government has drawn out the process of responding, initially delaying in parting with any information to back up to their decision, as required by court rules.
Only after SAFCEI and ELA’s legal team issued warning letters, threatening to go to court to force them to respond, did Government finally reply. The reply was received last week.
SAFCEI and ELA’s legal team is currently working through the large volume of government legal responses, comprising 700 pages of affidavit and annexures.
ISSUED BY SAFCEI and Earthlife Africa Johannesburg 12 June 2016
For further information, please contact
Ms Liz McDaid (SAFCEI) Ms Dominique Doyle (ELA-Jhb)
Email: liziwe@mweb.co.za email: dominique@earthlife.org.za
Cell: 082 731 5643 cell: 079 331 2028
Note for journalists:
Originally, the government announced that the Russian agreement was a done deal but later backtracked after public outcry, and now, according to President Zuma, claims that South Africa would build nuclear reactors “on a scale and pace that our country can afford”[1]. ELA/SAFCEI maintain, as per our founding papers, that the Russian agreement was entered into unlawfully but makes internationally binding commitment to buy a fleet of nuclear reactors from Russia.
On 21 December 2015, the DoE gazetted the 2013 section 34 determination, supposedly allowing the Department to go ahead and start a procurement process to buy nuclear reactors.
Supporting documentation provided to SAFCEI and ELA's legal team on the 16th February 2016 revealed this deliberate attempt by DoE to keep the public in the dark about its nuclear procurement process.
Our founding affidavit can be downloaded at: http://earthlife.org.za/2015/10/in-the-high-court-of-south-africa-western-cape-division-cape-town-3/ and on http://safcei.org/latest-update-on-our-nuclear-court-action/ .
SAFCEI www.safcei.org
Earthlife Africa Joburg www.earthlife.org.za
Lawyers representing ELA-JHB and SAFCEI are Adrian Pole and Associates.
[1] President Jacob Zuma, State of the Nation Address, 2016
SAFCEI (Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute) is a multi-faith organisation committed to supporting faith leaders and their communities in Southern Africa to increase awareness, understanding and action on eco-justice, sustainable living and climate change.
South Africa: Who Ends Up Paying If DMRE Cooks the Price of Nuclear Power?
South Africa’s nuclear energy expansion plans continue to draw criticism, environmental NGOs chew over legal challenge
Earthlife Africa and SAFCEI respond to latest unsettling nuclear news regarding the ministerial determination
Open Wing Alliance Africa (Virtual) Summit 2023
The Green Connection and SAFCEI respond to energy minister's divisive and deflecting comments
Job Vacancy: FLEAT Coordinator