When South Africa talks about nuclear energy, the spotlight is often focused on urban centers like Cape Town, where the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station sits near the ocean, producing electricity while most people don’t think about where its waste goes. But far from the public eye, the real burden of this technology is being offloaded – quite literally – into the Northern Cape. The Northern Cape, often overlooked in national energy conversations, holds a crucial place in South Africa’s nuclear narrative. At the heart of this is NECSA, the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, a state-owned entity central to the country’s nuclear ambitions. But what exactly is NECSA, and why should communities in the Northern Cape pay attention?
What is NECSA?
NECSA, the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, is the state-owned body responsible for all things nuclear, from research to radioactive waste management. While its headquarters sit in Pelindaba, Gauteng, the policies and decisions it makes have profound implications for provinces like the Northern Cape, which is being eyed for future nuclear infrastructure and uranium mining projects.
The Invisible Cost of Nuclear Waste & the Power of the People
When we talk about South Africa’s energy landscape, nuclear power is often framed as a clean, modern solution. But behind the promises of efficiency and economic progress, there’s an undeniable reality – one that disproportionately affects communities far from the urban centers where these decisions are made.
Vaalputs: The Forgotten Burden
Vaalputs
What many South Africans don’t realise is that the long-term radioactive waste from the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station isn’t stored anywhere near Cape Town’s energy consumers – it’s transported and buried in the Northern Cape. The Vaalputs Nuclear Waste Disposal Facility, chosen for its isolation, holds this dangerous legacy. But isolation does not mean informed consent.
Radioactive waste isn’t just an invisible inconvenience. It remains hazardous for hundreds – sometimes thousands – of years, raising serious concerns about environmental degradation, community health, and intergenerational justice. The people bearing this burden are often the ones who benefit the least from the electricity generated at Koeberg.
This isn’t just an energy issue – it’s a justice issue!
Reclaiming the Narrative
Despite being sidelined in national conversations, communities in the Northern Cape are pushing back. From Calvinia to Kuruman, youth-led movements, climate defenders, and local activists are rising to demand accountability and transparency.
People’s power in the Northern Cape isn’t about rejecting progress, it’s about asserting the right to shape their own future. It’s about saying: No decisions about us, without us.
This resistance is deeply rooted in energy democracy, environmental justice, and intersectionality. It challenges the idea that development can come at the expense of indigenous wisdom, ecological integrity, or social cohesion. It asserts that nuclear waste is not just a policy decision – it’s a lived reality that requires community involvement, not exclusion.
What’s Next?
We must move beyond technical discussions about nuclear energy and ask: Who carries the cost? Who decides the future? If South Africa is serious about a just energy transition, these voices cannot be ignored.
Because when people understand the stakes, they organise. And when they organise, they become unstoppable!
