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Key research themes
1. How did South Africa develop and subsequently dismantle its nuclear weapons programme during the Cold War?
This theme investigates the historical trajectory of South Africa's secret nuclear weapons programme, examining the political motivations, technological developments, and strategic considerations under apartheid. It also analyzes the factors leading to the voluntary dismantlement of the arsenal and South Africa’s re-integration into the global nonproliferation regime. Understanding this trajectory sheds light on the complex interplay between regional security fears, apartheid-era nationalism, and international pressures during the Cold War.
Key finding: The paper provides a chronological overview showing that Pretoria developed six and a half nuclear bombs driven primarily by fears of communist expansion in Southern Africa from the mid-1970s, influenced by Cuban and Soviet... Read more
Key finding: This article highlights that South Africa’s nuclear weapons development resulted not merely from possessing technological capability but from strong political and military motivations, particularly deterrence against... Read more
Key finding: Focusing on technological collaboration, this study details South Africa’s nuclear research evolution with substantial early assistance from the United States and Britain, emphasizing the establishment of uranium enrichment... Read more
Key finding: This historical analysis challenges prior claims by showing that the British Commonwealth connection was not the decisive factor in atomic collaboration with South Africa. Instead, it was the South African government’s... Read more
Key finding: Through documentary photography and archival research, the work elucidates the material and archival lacunae surrounding South Africa’s nuclear weapons programme, highlighting how secrecy, classified information, and limited... Read more
2. What are the strategic, political, and diplomatic dimensions of South Africa’s post-apartheid nuclear diplomacy with the IAEA?
This theme explores South Africa’s transformation from a nuclear weapons state to a proponent of nuclear nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It focuses on South Africa’s diplomatic engagement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) post-1990s, how it constructed a niche diplomatic role, addressed safeguards and verification, and influenced global nuclear governance debates, reflecting on norm construction and state identity.
Key finding: The paper shows that post-apartheid South Africa has leveraged its unique history to secure a niche diplomatic role within the IAEA, emphasizing norm construction around nuclear nonproliferation and peaceful uses. It outlines... Read more
Key finding: This 2024 report updates South Africa’s nuclear landscape, highlighting ongoing management of legacy issues such as the remaining highly enriched uranium stockpile declared under IAEA frameworks, the halted pebble bed modular... Read more
Key finding: The paper outlines governmental institutional restructuring and ambitions to expand nuclear energy capacity for meeting rising national demand while reducing carbon emissions. It stresses challenges related to governance,... Read more
Key finding: This media-based research highlights the opacity and legal ambiguities surrounding South Africa’s recent nuclear procurement efforts, particularly contracts with Rosatom for Generation III+ reactors. It points to deficiencies... Read more
3. What are the domestic political, economic, and environmental implications of nuclear energy development in South Africa?
This area investigates the intersection of South Africa’s nuclear energy ambitions with its broader socio-economic challenges including energy security, climate change mitigation, democratization, and economic constraints. It examines debates on nuclear power’s role amid coal dependency, its potential effects on energy sovereignty, costs, job creation, and patrimonial politics under recent administrations, contributing critical insights into the energy policy discourse in a transitional democracy.
Key finding: The analysis contends that the nuclear option poses a false solution to climate change in South Africa’s coal-dependent economy, emphasizing that the entire nuclear fuel cycle entails significant carbon emissions. It argues... Read more
Key finding: This artistic-exhibition-based study reveals how secrecy and fears surrounding South Africa’s nuclear weapons program historically intersected with nationalistic ambitions and modernist developmental aspirations. It... Read more