Nuclear judgement an epic defeat for the Zuptoids. Hope springs for SA.

By Alec Hogg

The most abiding memory of my third and last visit to SA’s Presidency back in February 2015, was the incumbent grumbling about how he kept losing court cases. Jacob Zuma told assembled editors he would be instructing his lawyers to work harder to reverse this extended streak.

South Africa’s top cartoonist Zapiro clearly has strong views on SA President Jacob Zuma’s desire to land taxpayers with a $100bn nuclear power fleet. More of his magic at Zapiro.com

Hard as he might have tried, Zuma hasn’t had much to celebrate since. But yesterday’s reverse in the High Court was epic. Justice Bozalek’s hard hitting judgement in favour of civil society litigants SAFCEI and Earthlife Africa kills off an agreement Zuma made with with Russian President Vladimir Putin in mid-2014.

Zuma’s efforts to drive through the controversial nuclear build programme is at the centre of much of the country’s political turbulence. It is directly responsible for the firing of the two competent Ministers of Finance – Nhlanhla Nene and Pravin Gordhan – who stood up against it. The duo realised it is irrational, unaffordable and if implemented, very likely to bankrupt South Africa. Yesterday the judiciary said they were right.

We cannot expect this to stop the Russian invasion. The crony capitalist Guptas have staked a fortune – including developing the old Dominion uranium mine – on the deal going through. So they will apply lots of pressure on Zuma to appeal the judgement. But even in the unlikely event that an appeal were successful, yesterday’s decision sets the nuclear build process back at least a year, probably much longer. Hope springs.

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