AfriForum to establish a power company

The Afrikaner civil rights group has been engaged in formal discussions with specialist venture capital firm C5 Capital (headed by South African born CEO André Pienaar) - an investor in cybersecurity, space and nuclear energy.

C5 Capital is a shareholder in the US-based X-Energy, which focusses on the design and building of advanced gas-cooled pebble bed modular nuclear reactors (PBMR). The chief scientist, Dr Eben Mulder, and the head of reactor development, Dr Martin van Staden, were both previously involved in the South African state-funded PBMR project that was halted in 2010.

Pienaar said that the reactor they're building for the state of Washington could start generating power as soon as 2027.

AfriForum’s role will reportedly be to facilitate the investments and expertise needed for the development of the reactors.

Introducing a nuclear power company to South Africa is part of AfriForum's three-stage comprehensive power plan, known as Project AfriEnergie – which was presented in November:

Stage one – is to help consumers become independent from Eskom, including mounting a court case against the National Energy Regulator of SA.

Stage two – is to free towns, cities and communities from municipal electricity. An example is Mafube Local Municipality in the Free State, where privately owned utility business Rural Maintenance has successfully managed the town’s electricity supply for the past ten years.

Stage Three – establishing an electricity generation company to provide a long-term power solution through nuclear generation.

AfriForum CEO, Kallie Kriel, said that AfriForum's initiative alone won't fix the energy crisis in South Africa, but that it wants to be part of the solution.