The new chairperson of the board of the State-owned South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Dr Rob Adam, has given the assurance that the new board and interim CEO would be able to restore the beleaguered entity. He was talking, via video link, at a media briefing in Pretoria on Friday.

"With this team I am confident we will be able to fix this important national asset," he affirmed. Adam is a previous CEO of Necsa and is currently the MD of the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory. He has also had experience in the private sector.

The interim CEO is Don Robertson, a former MD of Necsa subsidiary NTP Radioisotopes. "He will assist the board to restore good governance and bring financial sustainability to the organisation," said Energy Minister Jeff Radebe at the press conference.

"We are very confident that these new board members will bring the kind of leadership stability and insight necessary and essential for the successful implementation of the Necsa Board's institutional mandate, by restoring its credibility and integrity on governance matters," assured the Minister. "They bring along a wealth of diverse expertise and working experience, which will be pivotal in lifting Necsa from its current situation to a robust, functional and financially stable institution that is capable of meeting its statutory and institutional obligations."

In addition to Adam and Robertson (who is an ex-officio member), the new board includes two other nuclear specialists, nuclear physicist Dr Pulane Molokwane, and nuclear engineer Dr Ramatsemela Masango. The other five board members are leading labour lawyer and human resources specialist Aadil Patel, corporate law specialist Pulane Kingston, research finance specialist Bishen Singh, human resources specialist Matlhodi Ngwenya and private sector corporate and human capital executive Jabulani Ndlovu.

"As the Department of Energy, we remain wholly committed to ensuring good-governance and the long-term financial and operational sustainability of the Necsa Group of Companies," affirmed Radebe.

"This is more so as nuclear energy continues to play a multiplicity of roles in our economy, amongst which . . .  is the production of the crucial medical isotopes through the NTP, which as a consequence of failures by the former Necsa Board members had been seriously compromised over the past 12 months. Consequently, South Africa, which currently produces over half of the global market needs, was at risk of losing its market share and competitive edge in the production and sale of the medical isotopes."