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MR SENTI THOBEJANE – the secret voice behind South Africa’s covert nuclear power plans

Whether or not he is appointed, Mr Thobejane already wields enviable power. He was instrumental in negotiating the nuclear co-operation agreements with Russia, France and China, which have been kept secret not just from the public but also from top government officials in the Department of Energy and the Treasury. The Cabinet is also yet to see the agreements……

With rational planning processes set aside, Mr Thobejane’s advice could turn out to be more influential than all the well-laid plans on paper.

Hidden voice behind SA’s nuclear plans, Business Day  BY CAROL PATON, 20 FEBRUARY 2015 PRESIDENTIAL AND DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ADVISER SENTI THOBEJANE IS CERTAINLY NO HOUSEHOLD NAME, BUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS ADVICE WILL BE FELT IN YEARS TO COME IN EACH HOUSEHOLD AND BUSINESS OF THE FUTURE.

Mr Thobejane is one of SA’s most influential people. As adviser to Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson and a frequent adviser to President Jacob Zuma, he is in the uniquely powerful position of having direct channels to the two most important people in the Cabinet at the precise moment that SA contemplates radical decisions in its energy future.

So who is Senti Thobejane and what are his views on the big questions of the day?

Mr Thobejane is a US-schooled physicist and an ardent supporter of nuclear energy, a sector in which he has been involved for a good part of his life. His passion for nuclear energy and knowledge of energy matters has put him at the side of Mr Zuma in recent trips to China and Russia.

It has also made him a key figure in the Cabinet’s subcommittee on energy security that is overseeing SA’s nuclear procurement, as well as in the negotiations on international agreements for nuclear co-operation ……… He headed the health department of Limpopo for several years before leaving in 2001 to become CE of the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa).

At around this time it emerged that Mr Thobejane had been responsible for “a blatant” waste of funds as head of Limpopo’s health department. This was the finding of a commission appointed by the premier at the time, Sello Moloto, which said Mr Thobejane cancelled an IT contract with IBM and awarded it to another company, which replaced its systems. The matter died down and no action was taken in the end against Mr Thobejane……

his tenure at Necsa came to an abrupt end in 2005, when he resigned after a disagreement with the board over his salary. Although Mr Thobejane had persuaded staff that Necsa could not afford a salary increase that year, he negotiated a hefty one — reportedly 25% — for himself, through an arrangement with some members of the board. The energy minister at the time, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, was reported in City Press as expressing concern that the increase had been negotiated without ministerial consent.

By virtue of history and his own experience, Mr Thobejane now finds himself perfectly positioned to influence SA’s energy decisions. While not formally contracted by the Presidency, he is acknowledged as Mr Zuma’s point man on energy, in particular on nuclear power. His direct relationship with Mr Zuma, whom he has accompanied to Russia, has given him additional status and authority in the Department of Energy. It is an open secret that this has caused tension with Ms Joemat-Pettersson, who is said to not support his appointment as energy director-general, a post for which he has applied.

Whether or not he is appointed, Mr Thobejane already wields enviable power. He was instrumental in negotiating the nuclear co-operation agreements with Russia, France and China, which have been kept secret not just from the public but also from top government officials in the Department of Energy and the Treasury. The Cabinet is also yet to see the agreements……

With rational planning processes set aside, Mr Thobejane’s advice could turn out to be more influential than all the well-laid plans on paper.

Mr Thobejane was unable to make himself available for an interview for this article. http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/energy/2015/02/20/hidden-voice-behind-sas-nuclear-plans

February 21, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | secrets,lies and civil liberties, South Africa