Nuclear Energy Corporation of South Africa (Necsa) workers marched to its offices in Pretoria on Wednesday to demand compensation for radiation illness, Earth Life Africa (ELA) said.
”The company has been disputing that the people are ill and are delaying providing compensation for them,” spokesperson Mashile Phalane said of the 100 demonstrators, who handed over a petition demanding speedy compensation.
In the past two years, they and their relatives have been diagnosed with a number of illnesses including cancer and asthma.
”The company wants to appoint their own occupational doctors to research the issue and look into the matter. We are opposed to this,” Phalane said.
Necsa accuses ELA of ”purposefully delaying the process” by encouraging people not to be examined by an independent doctor chosen by Necsa, it said in a statement after Wednesday’s march.
It accused ELA of trying to discredit it by staging the march.
However, Phalane said workers had indicated they did not trust the Necsa-appointed doctors.
”All we are asking is to be part of the investigation process so that the workers are comfortable with it,” he said.
Necsa has denied that the workers were harmfully exposed to radiation.
”Necsa has successfully applied international standards and procedures to protect its workers,” it said.
Necsa and ELA are to meet at the end of January on completion of an independent occupational medical practitioner’s report. — Sapa