Authorities have expressed concerns about oversight by the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR).

Annual reports recently submitted to the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy by the NNR, National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA), National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institution (NRWDI) and the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) highlight significant achievements:

• NNR scored 92,85% for performance.
• NRWDI achieved a clean audit report.
• NERSA noted remarkable progress in achieving its performance targets to reach 97%.
• SANEDI reported 98% performance across its programmes.

The committee said these outcomes reflect a concerted effort to address previous challenges and promote a more stable and effective energy landscape.

Although this performance is commendable, the committee expected the NNR to achieve 100% given the risks associated with nuclear energy. The NNR’s performance score in the past financial year is a drop from 96,24% in the prior period.

Addressing the NNR’s performance target of 85%, the committee recommended re-evaluation of its target-setting process as the organisation historically performed consistently above 90%.

Some committee members voiced the importance of ensuring the NNR is vigilant in its regulatory functions to prevent nuclear accidents, stressing that public safety must remain the foremost priority.

The NNR’s performance score is based on completion of inspections, regulatory developments, reviews and assessments of nuclear power plants.

The NNR is also not fulfilling its role, using relevant communication strategies, to educate the public and alleviate fears about nuclear energy, added the committee.