Zuma ensures clean nuclear programs without corruption

President Jacob Zuma said on Sunday his government will take precautionary measures to ensure that procurement of its nuclear-build programme be transparent and free of corruption.

"We have taken every precaution. For example the team from South Africa has gone to all the countries that we believe have a possibility to give us what we need," Zuma said in an exclusive interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

"The next stage will be to come and make their presentations here when all our scientists are sitting looking in different departments to listen at exactly what it is that they can offer, because we have to take an informed decision."

In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) Thursday night, Zuma said his country will turn to renewable energy, including nuclear energy in the future to address a worsening energy shortage.

South Africa have had five "vendor parade workshops" with nuclear providers -- the U.S., South Korea, Russia, France, and China.

All these countries will be engaged in a fair, transparent, and competitive procurement process to select a strategic partner or partners to undertake the nuclear-built programme, Zuma said.

The South African government is committed to providing 9 600MW of nuclear power through a nuclear build programme in terms of the government integrated energy plan of 2010 to 2030.

The first of six new mini-nuclear plants is expected to come on stream by 2023.

Opponents to the nuclear program suspect rife corruption in the procurement.

But Zuma said all cards will be on the table to make the procurement transparent. Endi