Political Opposition Party Lambast SA’s Nuclear Deal With Russia

 Mzwandile Jacks Business, Energy

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VENTURES AFRICA – Helen Zille, the leader of South Africa’s official opposition, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has lashed out at the multi-billion dollar nuclear deal Moscow struck with Pretoria last week.
In an apparent reference to President Jacob Zuma, who struck the multi-billion dollar transaction which was announced last week, Zille said: “Someone is up to no good.”
She said the rush and privacy with which the deal was struck with Russia for the
supply of up to eight nuclear power plants in South Africa appeared to show that Zuma believed that the fiscus was “his to plunder”.
Last week, the Mail & Guardian (M&G), South Africa’s weekly newspaper, reported that Zuma took control of a multi-billion nuclear deal by talking directly with his counterpart, Russian president Vladimir Putin.
He allegedly further ordered Joemat-Pettersson, one of his cabinet ministers, to sign the deal on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference in Vienna.
On Monday, Zille said Zuma’s presidency has been characterised by him trying to avoid facing charges of fraud, corruption, racketeering and money laundering, stemming from the arms deal.
“The idea of up to a trillion rand changing hands on his say-so must be simply too good to pass over for a man with his track record. With his time at the helm running out, this Rosatom deal could be the ultimate windfall,” Zille said.