Between 2014 and 2017, President Jacob Zuma aggressively pursued a nuclear energy procurement programme estimated at R1 trillion — the largest single procurement in South African history. The programme was anchored in the IRP 2010's provision for 9,600 MW of new nuclear capacity, but was pursued through unlawful means.
In September 2014, Zuma and Russian President Putin signed an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) committing South Africa to procure nuclear capacity using Rosatom's VVER reactor technology. Similar IGAs were signed with South Korea, China, France, and the USA as a fig leaf for the predetermined Russian outcome.
National Treasury concluded the programme was unaffordable, estimating it would require unsustainable sovereign debt levels and electricity tariff increases of 200-300%. Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene refused to approve the financing, contributing to his firing in December 2015 — the "Nenegate" incident that destroyed R169.6 billion in market value.
The Gupta family had direct interests through Shiva Uranium/Oakbay Resources, creating a conflict of interest. Energy Minister Joemat-Pettersson was replaced by Zuma loyalist David Mahlobo (previously State Security Minister) to push the deal through.
In April 2017, the Western Cape High Court declared the IGAs, the Section 34 Ministerial Determination, and all procurement steps unlawful and unconstitutional, finding inadequate public participation and failure to table the IGAs in Parliament. Earthlife Africa and SAFCEI led the legal challenge that stopped the deal.
The nuclear deal was the single largest attempted act of corruption in South African history. Had it proceeded, it would have created a decades-long debt trap with Russia and enriched Gupta uranium mining interests.