Support the quest for transformation in the Nuclear Industry!!

Compatriots, we need a big popular outcry to show our disapproval for the stranglehold that private business and seemingly enterprising minority have on the national nuclear industry. We are particularly concerned that the transformation of this industry is taken seriously and not just paid lip service as it has been the case since the fall of apartheid.

Since the early 1990's, we have witnessed improper schemes acted upon to snuff out any promising initiative of black professionals to create sustainable opportunities for any meaningful participation in the mainstream of science-intensive industry.  The business-focused science and technology policies have also increased the risk posed by rampant greed and lack of a sound national Intellectual Property protection regime against IP poaching.

On the other hand, we have witnessed a blatant and relentless assault on a number of the few black nuclear experts, who have shown courage to turn the tide and help us grow our numbers in the industry. This has resulted in a number of them being marginalized and hounded out of the mainstream of national decision making circles and industry. Ultimately, some of them have been forced to private business for survival instead of lending their much needed participation in the nuclear affairs of the country. Some have since left the country to pursue their careers elsewhere.  To this day, the most vocal activists within the nuclear industry have either been confined to demeaning positions in the nuclear industry with no prospects of promotion or upward mobility. Some have been rendered so redundant and driven to frustration, to the extent that they have voluntarily exited the system.

We are witnessing the strategies of the minority interests to control the national science and technology policy processes being used to gain an exclusive foothold on the national nuclear industry. In this case, a demographically incorrect Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA) is clearly employed covertly to gain political credibility through a democratic process on the surface, in order to perpetuate an agenda that clearly is of benefit to the business minority on the account of the majority. To this end, minority owned enterprises have lined their balance sheets with questionable huge contracts from the local nuclear organizations, funded by the tax-payers, to the total exclusion of emerging black-owned enterprises. We are also witnessing the process of continuously catapulting foreigners to strategic positions within the nuclear industry to spite the equally and sometimes better experienced and qualified locals.

Historically White Universities appear to be targeted for the exclusive development of the skill base to the exclusion of the traditionally black campuses. The lobbyist approach of the untransformed nuclear industry through NIASA is set to perpetuate the apartheid status quo, i.e. to ensure a marginally meaningful black participation in the national nuclear science and technology sector.

As black scientists, engineers and technologists, we have a responsibility stand up and do our bit, instead of watching in frustration the ongoing erosion of our national heritage for the benefit of a few. We are fortunate that President Zuma has adopted an open door policy that enables a direct dialogue with his office on matters of national importance. The state of the nuclear energy industry in South Africa is a matter of national importance that is of particular concern to all of us outside the current sphere of decision-making influence.

Therefore by signing this petition, we are collectively making a request to the eminent black nuclear scientists and engineers: Dr Gordon Sibiya, Mr. Mojalefa Murphy and Prof Alfred Msezana, to seek an urgent meeting with the State President J Zuma and to lead the process of presenting our current concerns and views to him. In return of their leadership, we pledge to support them with two trusted cadres from each nuclear establishment in the country, to assist them in carrying out this mandate. In addition, we are also pledging our time, energy and resources as they may be needed, to develop a comprehensive account of our concerns for the intended presentation to the Presidency.

Compatriots, we need a big popular outcry to show our disapproval for the stranglehold that private business and seemingly enterprising minority have on the national nuclear industry. We are particularly concerned that the transformation of this industry is taken seriously and not just paid lip service as it has been the case since the fall of apartheid.

Since the early 1990's, we have witnessed improper schemes acted upon to snuff out any promising initiative of black professionals to create sustainable opportunities for any meaningful participation in the mainstream of science-intensive industry.  The business-focused science and technology policies have also increased the risk posed by rampant greed and lack of a sound national Intellectual Property protection regime against IP poaching.

On the other hand, we have witnessed a blatant and relentless assault on a number of the few black nuclear experts, who have shown courage to turn the tide and help us grow our numbers in the industry. This has resulted in a number of them being marginalized and hounded out of the mainstream of national decision making circles and industry. Ultimately, some of them have been forced to private business for survival instead of lending their much needed participation in the nuclear affairs of the country. Some have since left the country to pursue their careers elsewhere.  To this day, the most vocal activists within the nuclear industry have either been confined to demeaning positions in the nuclear industry with no prospects of promotion or upward mobility. Some have been rendered so redundant and driven to frustration, to the extent that they have voluntarily exited the system.

We are witnessing the strategies of the minority interests to control the national science and technology policy processes being used to gain an exclusive foothold on the national nuclear industry. In this case, a demographically incorrect Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA) is clearly employed covertly to gain political credibility through a democratic process on the surface, in order to perpetuate an agenda that clearly is of benefit to the business minority on the account of the majority. To this end, minority owned enterprises have lined their balance sheets with questionable huge contracts from the local nuclear organizations, funded by the tax-payers, to the total exclusion of emerging black-owned enterprises. We are also witnessing the process of continuously catapulting foreigners to strategic positions within the nuclear industry to spite the equally and sometimes better experienced and qualified locals.

Historically White Universities appear to be targeted for the exclusive development of the skill base to the exclusion of the traditionally black campuses. The lobbyist approach of the untransformed nuclear industry through NIASA is set to perpetuate the apartheid status quo, i.e. to ensure a marginally meaningful black participation in the national nuclear science and technology sector.

As black scientists, engineers and technologists, we have a responsibility stand up and do our bit, instead of watching in frustration the ongoing erosion of our national heritage for the benefit of a few. We are fortunate that President Zuma has adopted an open door policy that enables a direct dialogue with his office on matters of national importance. The state of the nuclear energy industry in South Africa is a matter of national importance that is of particular concern to all of us outside the current sphere of decision-making influence.

Therefore by signing this petition, we are collectively making a request to the eminent black nuclear scientists and engineers: Dr Gordon Sibiya, Mr. Mojalefa Murphy and Prof Alfred Msezana, to seek an urgent meeting with the State President J Zuma and to lead the process of presenting our current concerns and views to him. In return of their leadership, we pledge to support them with two trusted cadres from each nuclear establishment in the country, to assist them in carrying out this mandate. In addition, we are also pledging our time, energy and resources as they may be needed, to develop a comprehensive account of our concerns for the intended presentation to the Presidency.

Compatriots, we need a big popular outcry to show our disapproval for the stranglehold that private business and seemingly enterprising minority have on the national nuclear industry. We are particularly concerned that the transformation of this industry is taken seriously and not just paid lip service as it has been the case since the fall of apartheid.

Since the early 1990's, we have witnessed covert schemes acted upon to snuff out promising initiatives to create sustainable opportunities for any meaningful participation of the black professionals in the mainstream of the science-intensive national industry.  The business-focused science and technology (S&T) policies have exponentially increased the risk of the rampant greed and lack of a sound Intellectual Property (IP) protection regime to which the national IP in the in the custody of the S&T Public Entities is exposed.

On the other hand, we have witnessed a blatant and relentless assault on a number of a few black nuclear experts, who have shown courage to turn the tide and help us grow our numbers and technical capability in the industry. Some of them have been marginalized and hounded out of the mainstream of the national decision making circles and industry for some time. Of these, there are those who have been forced into private business for mere survival instead of lending their much needed skills and experience to the nuclear developments of the country. Others have since left the country to pursue their careers elsewhere.  

To this day, some of the most vocal activists within the nuclear industry have either been confined to demeaning positions in the nuclear industry with no prospects of promotion or upward mobility. Others have been rendered so redundant and driven to frustration, to the extent that they have voluntarily exited the system.

For some time since 1994, we have witnessed the unfolding of the overt plans of the minority interests to control the national science and technology policy development to the detriment of the large numbers of the aspiring black scientists, engineers and technologists as well as the national S&T capability platform. These very plans are being employed once more to gain an exclusive foothold on the control and direction of the national nuclear industry. In this case, a demographically incorrect Nuclear Industry Association of South Africa (NIASA) is an apparent vehicle that is being employed covertly to gain political credibility, in order to legitimize the perpetual pursuit of an agenda that is unashamedly of exclusive benefit to the business minority.

To this end, the minority owned enterprises have lined their balance sheets with questionable huge contracts from the local nuclear organizations, funded by the tax-payers, to the exclusion of emerging black-owned enterprises. We are also witnessing the process of continuously catapulting foreigners to strategic positions within the nuclear industry to spite the equally and sometimes better experienced and qualified locals.

Of enigmatic concern is the unabated reservation of the Historically White Universities for the exclusive development of the national nuclear skill base to the exclusion of the traditionally black campuses. The lobbyist approach of the untransformed nuclear industry through NIASA is set to perpetuate the apartheid status quo, i.e. to ensure a marginally meaningful black participation in the national nuclear science and technology sector.

As black scientists, engineers and technologists, we have a responsibility to stand up and do our bit, instead of watching in frustration the ongoing erosion of our national heritage for the benefit of a few. We are fortunate that President Zuma has adopted an open door policy that enables a direct dialogue with his office on matters of national importance. The state of the nuclear energy industry in South Africa is a matter of national importance that is of particular concern to all of us outside the current sphere of decision-making influence.

Therefore by signing this petition, we are collectively making a request to the eminent black nuclear scientists and engineers: Dr Gordon Sibiya, Mr. Mojalefa Murphy and Prof Alfred Msezane, to seek an urgent meeting with the State President J Zuma and to lead the process of presenting our current concerns and views to him. In return of their leadership, we pledge to support them with two trusted cadres from each nuclear establishment in the country, to assist them in carrying out this mandate. In addition, we are also pledging our time, energy and resources as they may be needed, to develop a comprehensive account of our concerns for the intended presentation to the Presidency.