A New Tsunami : The South African Anti-Nuclear Movement in the Wake of Fukushima

South Africa’s government has made clear its plans to order a fleet of six nuclear reactors, providing an additional output of 9 600 megawatts. It also aims to reactivate other elements of the nuclear fuel chain such as the construction of an enrichment plant, a fuel fabrication plant, and a nuclear waste smelter. President Zuma has taken over from his deputy the chairing of the National Nuclear Energy Executive Co-ordination Committee, the intra-governmental body that is charged with overseeing procurement. The overnight costs of the reactors alone are likely to amount to between US$60 – 100 billion, by far the biggest infrastructural purchase made by democratic South Africa in its 20-year history.

Seemingly the impact of Fukushima has not had repercussions among the responsible decision makers.  Instead they have sought and gained approval from the International Atomic Energy Agency for the expanded nuclear programme.

However, civil society continues to challenge the plans as a fait accompli. Whilst the principal thrust in the anti-nuclear movement has come from its environmental NGO sector, new formations and new sectoral opposition is notable.  Significant disquiet has been voiced by the trade union movement (in political alliance with government, but not on this issue), faith-based communities, academic energy researchers and civil society energy lobbyists, the consortium of large-scale electricity using companies, communities situated close to the construction of nuclear facilities, and even the government’s National Planning Commission.

The paper seeks to understand the dynamics of government indifference to Fukushima, and the stress on Fukushima by opposing social movements, who have adopted TSUNAMI as the name of their coalition (The Southafrican United National Antinuclear Mobilising Initiative).