Parliament should have debated secretive nuclear deal‚ court hears
Concluding arguments were heard in the Western Cape High Court today in the case of EarthLife Africa and the Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute wanting the nuclear deal between SA and Russia to be declared unconstitutional because the matter was not brought before Parliament. In the final day of arguments Marius Oosthuizen‚ representing the president and the minister of energy‚ said agreements of co-operation between two governments were typical examples of an executive nature. Judge Elizabeth Baartman said the nuclear issue was of public and political interest‚ because the word nuclear was used from the word go. Oosthuizen told the court that the deal had not been rushed and that the Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson was considering all her options regarding the use of nuclear. "A remedy for this matter is for Parliament to hold the relevant parties to account and that this matter does not warrant a judicial remedy but a political accountability remedy‚" said O...
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