Twelve Greenpeace activists, six of whom scaled the pumphouse at the Koeberg nuclear power station on August 24 and unfurled a banner saying ”Nukes out of Africa,” were sentenced on Monday to a fine of R4 000 for breaching security.
Control prosecutor in the Atlantis Magistrate’s Court, Liesl America, said the group were also fined a further R1 000 for failing to comply with the conditions of their temporary residence permit. They will all be deported.
Police at Melkbos on the Cape West coast will return to the activists two inflatable Greenpeace dinghies worth R900 000 which were confiscated because they were used ”in the commission of a crime.”
Their climbing equipment will also be returned.
Greenpeace representative Mike Townsley said they were happy the activists were now free to go home, but sad for the country that they will leave behind a nuclear facility that could only bring long term pollution and threat.
”Since the protest at Koeberg it has become apparent that the Greenpeace activists are not the only people who have broken the law,” Townsley said.
He said the failure of the plant owners, Eskom, to provide safety, security and evacuation plans should be investigated by the authorities.
”This is yet another reason why this first nuclear facility in Africa should be the last,” Townsley said.
The protest formed part of Greenpeace’s ongoing campaign during the Earth Summit to take action and show the ”madness” of allowing global energy policy to be dictated by the nuclear and fossil industries when clean and safe alternatives such as solar and wind power were available.
The Greenpeace activists left the Atlantis court wearing T-shirts proclaiming ”Nukes out of Africa”.
They are from Argentina, Australia, Spain, The Netherlands, Mexico, Lebanon, the UK, New Zealand and Canada.
Last week Western Cape premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk visited the nuclear plant and said it was ”vulnerable” from the sea.
He said the problem should be addressed immediately.
Van Schalkwyk’s visit was a direct result of the actions by the Greenpeace activists. He expressed concern that security had been breached and access gained to the power plants.
He said he was also concerned over the storage of high-level nuclear waste at Koeberg over the past 18 years but expressed satisfaction with the plant’s management. – Sapa