Ramaphosa greenlights new era for nuclear safety in SA

Cape Town – President Cyril Ramaphosa has approved the National Nuclear Regulator Amendment Bill, strengthening South Africa’s nuclear safety framework.

The bill updates the National Nuclear Regulator Act of 1999 to align with international best practices established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya said.

“This alignment is necessary because South Africa is one of the founding members of the IAEA and is a signatory to various international conventions governing nuclear safety, as promulgated by the IAEA.

President @CyrilRamaphosa has assented to the National Nuclear Regulator Amendment Bill, which provides for nuclear safety oversight ranging from the decontamination of defence facilities to airline pilot safety. https://t.co/CD4wnB45Xv

— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) December 18, 2024

“The law gives the national nuclear regulator additional functions and provides for the decontamination, decommissioning and closing of national defence force facilities, equipment, machinery and scrap for civilian use,” Magwenya said.

He added: “The Amendment Bill inserts new definitions, amends certain definitions and removes obsolete definitions in order to align with IAEA international best practices.”

The amendments grant the national nuclear regulator additional oversight functions, including managing the decontamination and decommissioning of national defence facilities and equipment for civilian use. These changes aim to ensure that repurposed military property poses no radiation risks to the public.