Government says there is need for African countries including Zambia to deal with the negative perceptions towards nuclear science and technology in order to reap the available vast socio-economic and health benefits.
Secretary to Cabinet, Roland Msiska regretted that nuclear science is associated with atrocities and environmental disasters at the expense of the vast benefits in medical applications, agriculture and power generation.
Dr. Msiska said this in a speech read for him by Permanent Secretary at Cabinet Office, Bernard Kapasa at the official opening of the European Union(EU) funded Zambia Conference on enhancing Africa’s capacity on nuclear safety, security and safeguards in SADC countries.
Dr. Msiska stated that there is need for sensitisation and public awareness on the benefits of peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology despite many people not being affected by nuclear science.
He further said Africa needs to move away from heavy reliance on natural phenomena for power generation and embrace nuclear power generation to attain sustainable economic development.
The Secretary to Cabinet said Zambia is keen on developing its nuclear science capacity and intends to operate a 2,000 megawatts power plant to drive economic activity.
Dr. Msiska said projections of increased demand for electricity should make African countries adopt nuclear power to support economic growth and maximize benefits from use of nuclear science and technology.
He said Africa needs to join the international community in utilizing nuclear science and technology for economic development.
Dr. Msiska commended the involvement of young people in Africa’s nuclear programme which has seen the formation of the Zambian Chapter of the Young Generation in Nuclear.
And Radiation Protection Authority Executive Director, Boster Siwila said the conference will help Zambia and other countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to strengthen regulatory framework in the transportation and storage of nuclear and radioactive materials.
Mr Siwila said there is need for Africa and Zambia to adhere to environmental safeguards in order for the continent to enhance its capacity in nuclear.
And European Union (EU) Representative to Zambia, Robert De Raeve said his organisation will continue to promote partnerships with Zambia in order to enhance nuclear safety.
Mr. De Raeve said EU will offer best practices to Africa in advanced nuclear safety and strengthened regulatory framework to promote development of nuclear science and increased Uranium mining in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia and Namibia.
The problem in Zambia is people just say things without understanding them. We do not have the capacity to run nuclear power stations, unless we privatize our energy sector, something that should start with the hopeless ZESCO.
Secretary to the Cabinent, how far are with the issue of a civil servant Amos Chanda insulting a citizen to a point of dehumanizing him(that the guy was below a dog). Are the documents now ready for a disciplinary issue.
Can we for now concentrate on solar energy. God has blessed us abundantly but we have a vision less leadership.
Msiska is just a puppet..who just goes out and starts singing what his dull Political bosses tell him to do just to say in the job enjoying perks. …I mean I remember this is the guy who couldn’t justify the need for a national airline to people at a meeting. Africa has 365 days of Sunshine for Solar energy why should she need to invest in Nuclear when developed countries are cutting back on these types of energy.
Msiska has outlived his usefulness …a true technocrat sometimes tells his bosses what they dont want to hear.
Msiska is not a puppet, he’s a f00l. Then there’s a Radiation protection what? Why can’t some people just shut up?
Simangulungwa i agree with you. we do not have both the technological and financial capacity to development nuclear energy. But what is shuddering is that a senior GRZ official can be issuing statements on a subject that is beyond his comprehension. We understand there are benefits, in fact there are benefits to most technologies, but we should critically analysis the downsides also. To the extent that we have no technological capability, risks become profound. Risk of radiation leaks, waste handling and most importantly how to deal with nuclear accidents and disasters. German is phasing out nuclear energy after realizing that risks far outweigh benefits.
We have plenty water, wind & sunshine, why not develop renewable, greener and far less riskier energy based on these…
Alfred – For Zambia to be involved in Nuclear…it would just benefit the countries supplying this technology, I mean how many Nuclear scientists or technicians does Zambia have? Meanwhile when you look at renewable energies like solar any Electrical Engineer and Technician can understand the set up of components.
“Secretary to Cabinet, Roland Msiska regretted that nuclear science is associated with atrocities and environmental disasters at the expense of the vast benefits in medical applications, agriculture and power generation.”
Just imagine a Secretary to the Cabinet coming with such statements when govt teachers can not be paid on time…he is simply reading issues he has no understanding of.
Mr Msiska shut up and please sit down.
HH is not a papeti, he is 10% a fuu.
You can’t run Lusaka’s public markets effectively yet you think you can do nuclear? Have you invested in proper sewage systems for biogas or exploited solar power yet?
They want kickbacks from building cheap substandard Russian Nuclear Plants…they think treatment of nuclear waste is as simple as dumping sewer in Chongwe River… why do you think the do Lazy Lungu rushed to RSA to meet Putin last month.
Dr.Msiska is not a fool nor is he a puppet.He is a civil servant who is charged to execute the policies of politicians.He can advise,mitigate but he can never be seen to reject a political decision.Its like laughing at a Colonel for obeying his General’s orders.
In a country like ours were development is not private sector-driven,the civil or public sector is the only vehicle for delivering the public goods and services.
Zorro Msiska Akamba!!
You P.F chaps cannot collect simple garbage, & you bwetuka ati Nuclear fyo, fyo, fyo!!
What will happen is the Southern African region will be hit by a disaster worse than Fukushima, & neighbouring countries will be affected, BUT the P.F gonena’s won’t be answerable as they would have turned into cardboard via radiation.
WHY NOT THINK FORWARD, & talk of Clean energy like Solar??
If I’m thinking correctly, Zorro Msiska is probably salivating @ the prospect of Kickback’s from this filthy idea that P.F kaponya’s cannot be trusted to safely handle.
Even forward thinking companies like Google have invested in renewable energy in RSA…they have invested in the 96-megawatt Jasper Energy Project.
Hi guys in Zambia!
May u please check on Mushota and find out if she has been deported or not?
Make sure u give her a real Tonga Zambian man to test before going back tothat very old white man Nick who has failed to give her a baby please.
There is a topic on Nuclear energy Vs Renewable energy that concerns your future and all you want to talk about is irrelevant issues and gossip.
She’s fine don’t take her to Namwala. She may be killed by intolerance chaps there.
Just simple cholera was devastating and overwhelming you but now you think you’re upto the challenge of nuclear?
So that we can be killed by a nuclear meltdown caused by incompetent cadres who should never have been running the nuclear plant in the first place? In principle Id say yes, but with the reality of Zambia in particular Id say no.
Mr Msiska, its not refusing the nuclear energy technology, no, but that in all literature, we have been ably informed that this technology needs highly competent and experienced engineers to manager and operate it. In other words, we all know its benefits and its devastating consequences if not handled properly hence the need for deliberate policy to steadily mature in the energy sector, continuously invest massively in human resource to competently manage such facilities over a 50 year period. If Zambia can demonstrate that it has these requirements, not depending on foreign experts to run it, then we all truly embrace it.
Let there be a clear road map to this idea otherwise you are inviting holocaust. Why do you think the body International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) exists? They…
contd
Why do you think the body International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) exists? They recognize the sensitivity of this technology. Its better to learn lessons from the best e.g. Japan and German in this field.
A musiska!
Toll gate number 14 has been designed and constructed by chinese yet zambian engineers have not grasped the technology and you come with your nuclear crap,that won’t work lets master the basics first.You want to show unprecedented ambition just like meno meno, with no clue. Carder technocrats are a problem, lets be honest with ourselfs our technological advancement pa zed is at the level of 350 BC Roman empire before julius Cesar’s reign.
At what cost ?
Kickback cost
They will use Russian Exim Bank and pay later…
I think this man should be PRESIDENT in 2021 (if ECL is barred if NOT then he tries in 2026) HE IS SO HUMBLE KNOWLEDGABLE EDUCATED AND GOD FEARING PERSON,I JUST LIKE THE WAY HE WORKS AT CABINET FULL OF ACTION
Why do you like humble people imwe bantu kansi? If the late Steve Jobs was humble, Apple wouldn’t have been what it is today.
The developed world is moving away from nuclear energy to environmentally friendly alternatives and then you want to start following what they have finished? By 2022 most of Europe will be driving electric cars while we are still at the mercy of oil producing countries.
Imagine that an Electric vehicle uses a substantial amount of copper in their batteries and in the windings and copper rotors used in electric motors. A single car can have up to six kilometers of copper wiring…instead of postioning ourselves and investing in value addition industries in Zambia. We have shortsighted chaps like Msiska who have been pushed on to a platform to sing for crooks.
Exactly.
As others above have said….simple cholera overwhelmed you….you can’t even run public toilets In central bussiness districts and you want to muster.bate about nuclear…..
They are just looking for avenues to loot……these PF theives…
It CLEAR from comments so far that this NUCLEAR POWER STATION IS A NON STARTER!! What Msiska knows but ignores is OUR INCAPACITY TO MANAGE EVEN THE VERY BASIC OF THINGS like commentators have cited. Indeed as @12 Chale and @12.1 Jay Jay why not for a while EVEN CALL AN INDABA TO BRAIN STORM ON WHAT WE CAN DO WITH OUR COPPER AND COBALT TO REALIZE MORE VALUE FOR IT and HOW CAN WE ACCELERATE ELECTRICITY GENERATION FROM RENEWABLE ENERGY!! I believe for the same or less amount of investment being quoted for nuclear power plant, we generate same or more energy from renewable sources!! For now, nuclear science should be studied for other issues like it labs,agric etc ..NOT power generation!!
What is wrong with our African thinking? European countries are stopping nuclear and you want to bring them here. Those wanting to build nuclear stations here, why are they not building them in their own countries? Can we clean up a nuclear mess?
It reminds me of the tobacco industry where they are moving factories to developing countries and upping advertising budgets there because of too many restrictions and taxes in developed countries because of its impact on the health.
Africa will never develop with such mindsets from gay gay and others. In the meatime, they are using electricity produced from nuclear reactors to insult government over a noble statement. People are so fixated at negatives than broad benefits economically and otherwise. Just a reminder that developed countries were once developing countires and had power deficits, cholera and typhoid. There is no malaria today in developed countries because they used DDT which they are discouraging today at the expense of millions of africans getting afflicted today and the likes of gay gay would be applauding.
I thought the conference was on “Enhancing Africa’s capacity on nuclear safety, security and safeguards”.
Point is why not focus on renewables like solar, wind and hydro for which we are endowed with resources and is cleaner and less riskier than spend huge sums on a complicated and high risk tech from which advanced countries are running away?
#Alfred, zambia has had hydro power from independence, load shedding is now hitting the country, how many solar panels will produce power to run 1/4 of one small scale mine? Where is uranium mined from? Our own soil. Why not build capacity in safe procution and use of nuclear energy for development. Do you know how many trees are cut on a daily basis for malasha to produce energy for your daily nshima. do you know Zambia is turning into a man made desert at a fast rate?
Banja – Uranium from your own soil as if its coal with you put directly into a furnace….solar farms are capable of producing 580MWatts like the Topaz Solar Farm in California or the Noor Complex Solar Power Plant, Morocco producing the same capacity.
Banja try to to do a bit of research so that your debate is well informed. Nuclear downsides far outweigh the benefits; its like a metaphor of one buying a bottle of blue label whiskey because doctor said alcohol is beneficial for digestion but ignores the detriments to liver and other vital organs. Uranium even if it where mined in zambia need to be enriched to produce energy grade uranium 38 isotopes to be used as fuel in reactors. Just the nuclear fuel supplychain is very risk and involves extremely expensive technology. Coming to the nuclear power plant installation, production and decommissioning (after life cycle of 40 year), nuclear electricity will be extremely expensive unless massively subsidized by GRZ. But for wind, solar and hydro, the fuel is free (water, wind sunshine) and…
We can still develop more dams, exploit wind and solar energy or use coal (last resort) with combined cycle and carbon sequestration technology (carbon capture and storage CCS) which is still cheaper and far less riskier than nuclear. we should diversify our energy mix to include more renewable sources in our porfolio and not to venture into nuclear – German and much of Europe are phasing it out (fukushima fears).
Plane crush today then you say no more flying is what you are saying. The problem in Africa is we like travelling abroad to enjoy the same things you are denying your poverty stricken relatives back at home.
We are saying there is more potential and benefit in renewables to even think of risking our selves. Should we expose ourselves to risks just because we fail to be more curious about the downsides of nuclear. Nuclear accidents cannot be compared to any other accidents. They are disasters with catastrophic consequences, ranging from gene mutation, permanent deformation and affects ecological services meaning that natural regeneration is impaired. This is not what we need because we want to be be a nuclear state.