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Thyspunt Nuclear Proposal in EC
WSP is managing an EIA on behalf of Eskom to build a nuclear power station at Thyspunt in the EC. This is the second time they are trying to force this through in spite of the new wind and solar farms that have been built.
WSP are not being transparent about the cost to taxpayers about this EIA and all the supposed independent studies that have launched to confirm the viability of the site firstly
They will also not commit to a budget for this build but the cost to taxpayers is expected to exceed three trillion without all the various corruption additions. This cost does not include approximately 200k of new transmission lines which need to be built to get the power to the crumbling and inefficient NMB municipality. The already established Coega IDZ basin seems to be a more logical option.
To add the already huge taxpayer burden at this stage seems unreasonable and it irks one that the government is so lackadaisical about taxpayers money
Are you able to look into this and try and find out why Eskom is hell bent on this ridiculous venture - does it go back to what Jacob Zuma promised the Russians!
Hi Karih, thank you for your submission. I am forwarding this to our newsroom.
@SharpSchutters, what do you think? Is this in your wheelhouse?
I’m getting in touch as you may well be interested in a serious case of governance, transparency, and public participation failures by the WCED and CoCT. (I am the Media Liaison committee member of the Bergvliet Voluntary Association, which was established to fight this battle.)
While our story has received quite extensive coverage in the local CT media (link to my latest press release: Public trust shaken over Bergvliet development approval - The Cape Independent ) I want to achieve broader, more national, awareness of our case in the mainstream media, especially considering that ours is just one of a growing number of similar stories emerging across CT and further afield (we have joined forces with representatives from Coniston Park, Tygerhof and Durbanville, and are reaching out to those involved in the Fisherhaven case Fisherhaven residents voice concerns as Mayor Klaas investigates school building objections ).
For the record, we have a WEALTH of documentation related to the case, which we have prepared in view of possible legal action (which we were told, by our unsupportive Ward Councillor, last week, is the only remaining option open to us).
I do hope you will give this some thought and hopefully decide to run with it. Our contacts in other areas (Coniston Park, etc) would, along with us, be open to interviews if required.
Thank you,
Ingrid
Hi Ingrid! Thanks for sending this through. I’ll forward it to our newsroom for consideration, and we’ll be in touch if we decide to pick it up.