The News
South Africa would consider working with Iran or Russia to expand its nuclear energy capacity, a government minister said Monday, a move that could widen Pretoria’s rift with the US.
“We can’t have a contract that says Iran or Russia must not bid, we can’t have that condition,” Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources Gwede Mantashe told Reuters.
“If they are the best in terms of the offer on the table, we’ll take any [country],” he said.
Africa’s biggest economy has long been beset by a lack of reliable power, marked by hours-long blackouts and huge financial cost: The country is estimated to have lost $46 billion due to the energy crisis between 2020 and 2023.
Turning to US rivals for nuclear technology could further alienate Washington, which last week cut foreign aid to South Africa, citing disapproval over a controversial land distribution policy, and the country’s genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, Reuters reported.
