Nuclear Africa CEO Dr Kelvin Kemm has been appointed as chairperson of the embattled South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), according to Cabinet on Thursday.

Kemm, a nuclear physicist and regular Fin24 opinion writer, is one of nine new board members that Cabinet approved during their meeting on Wednesday.

This will go a long way to stabilising the state-owned company, which seeks to play a significant role in the country’s 9 600 MW nuclear energy programme.

With a non-functioning board and a CEO who is on a contract that is renewed monthly, Necsa has come under increasing pressure for not finalising its annual financial statements for 2014/15, which is now five months late.

CEO Phumzile Tshelane welcomed the appointments. “The Necsa CEO and management team welcome this positive development as it will strengthen the corporations’ governance process,” he told Fin24.

Kemm told Fin24 that he looks forward to contributing “as much as I can to this exciting phase in the development of our country”.

“South Africa as a country, and Necsa as an organisation, has been deeply involved in nuclear technology for many decades, so the experience and competence base exists in South Africa,” said Kemm.

Kemm said nuclear power has shown itself internationally to be a very safe, reliable, and inexpensive source of electricity. “South Africa and southern Africa needs to increase its electricity supply considerably in coming decades,” he said. “Nuclear is without doubt an essential component of the national electricity mix.”

Apart from ensuring Necsa finalises its financial reports, Kemm will also have to engage with the issue of Tshelane, who is currently embroiled in two court actions relating to Necsa.

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission applied in December to the High Court in Pretoria for him to be placed on probation after he failed to refund the company for the private use of a company car, Business Day reported.

In January “former Necsa director Medi Mokuena, whose term ended in October, has also brought a court application to the same court, seeking action against the directors,” journalist Carol Paton said.

“As well as seeking to have Mr Tshelane removed, Ms Mokuena wants him and Necsa chairman Mochubela Seekoe and the Department of Energy’s head of nuclear energy to be declared by the court to be delinquent.”

Joining Kemm on the board is ANC MP Nqaba Ngcobo, who is the chairperson of the portfolio committee on science and technology.

The other new board members are:

- Former Business Women's Association president Namane Magau and a former Necsa spokesperson.

- BHP Billiton chairperson Xolani Mkhwanazi

- Pebble Bed Modular Reactor CEO Dr Alex Tsela

- Black Business Chamber acting CEO Rosemary Mosia

- Lawyer Zibusise Comfort Ngidi

- Former chief financial officer of the KZN Treasury and Education Department Pamela Bosman

- ANC member Prince Kennedy Tshivhase

News24.com