Eskom's Koeberg nuclear power station. Picture Henk Kruger/African News Agency/ANA
Members of Parliament in the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy have demanded nothing short of 100% compliance from the National Nuclear Regulator, which attained a performance score of 92.85%.
The committee met with various entities within the energy sector this week in order to evaluate their 2023/24 financial performance. They highlighted safety as key reason for demanding 100%.
The committee met with the NNR, the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institution (NRWDI), the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) and the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI).
Nersa said it had increase in its performance targets, reaching 97% of its goal.
SANEDI reported 98% performance across its programmes.
The NNR reported a performance score of 92.85% and the NRWDI said it achieved a clean audit report.
The meeting also provided the committee an opportunity for these entities to also outline the strategic initiatives they have undertaken to enhance their effectiveness and efficiency.
The committee members said that they were particularly interested in the entities plans for the future and their strategic focus.
Members inquired about the NNR’s target-setting process, specifically questioning the reasoning behind the 85% performance target.
They suggested that it might need reconsideration, given the organisation’s history of consistently surpassing 90% in performance.
Another area of interest for members was South African’s nuclear sector.
The committee expressed significant concerns around the operations and regulatory oversight of the NNR.
Committee members highlighted that while the NNR achieved a good performance score, there is an expectation for 100% compliance, given the potential risks associated with nuclear energy.
The members voiced that it was vital that the NNR be vigilant in its regulatory functions to prevent nuclear accidents, as the public's safety remains the foremost priority.
Lastly the members said that it was vital that Nersa ensure that municipalities adhered to the approved tariff structures.
In terms of the challenges being faced by Nersa, the committee sought to understand why the organisation faced difficulty in developing regulatory tools.
The members called on Nersa to improve stakeholder engagement processes in order to enhance collaboration and ensure that all voices are heard in regulatory discussions.
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