South Africa: The Three Reasons Why the ANC Is Stuck On Nuclear Power

analysis

Tim Cohen is editor of Business Maverick. He is a business and political journalist and commentator of more years than he likes to admit. His freelance work has included contributions to the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, but he spent most of his life working for Business Day. After a mid-life crisis that didn't include the traditional fast car, Cohen now lives in the middle of nowhere in the Karoo.

Last week, a group of Daily Maverick reporters went to have a cup of tea with Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, and they had a discussion about the topics of the day.

Mantashe is chatty and likable and is, after all, used to trading barbs with the press. My guess is his views represent more or less the centre of the ANC's left-leaning, statist ideology. He is also a party patriot, and isn't given to public opposition to the Radical Economic Transformation faction, although I suspect he is not part of it himself.

In any event, Business Maverick contributor Ed Stoddard threw a question to him about nuclear power, and got a surprising response. Mantashe was enthusiastic, indicating the government was still intending to go ahead...

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