COMESA backs nuclear laws

AFRICAN countries have been urged to consider putting up supportive legislation that will regulate the production of nuclear energy as an alternative energy source in view of the power deficit the continent was experiencing.

Outgoing Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) secretary general, Erastus Mwencha said it was time African countries instituted more research on nuclear energy and establish legislation on technology.

Speaking in an interview, Mr Mwencha whose term of office ended last Friday and has since left the country, said nuclear energy may not be produced in seven or eight years time but it was important that countries start investing in the technology to prepare for future energy needs.

“When you look around the world, about 16 per cent of the countries worldwide are already producing nuclear energy and yet Africa is only producing two per cent.

“We need to start studying the options of nuclear energy and seek ways of implementing them,” he said.

Mr Mwencha said there was need to send scientists to countries such USA, UK, France and Russia where nuclear energy had been embraced.

He explained that many countries on the continent had raw materials including uranium which is used to produce nuclear energy.

Mr Mwencha welcomed the Zambia Business Forum (ZBF) study report which had concluded that COMESA and the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) must be strengthened through harmonising their free trade areas which would lead to a merger of the two regional blocks.

He said COMESA had already developed convergence strategies for harmonisation with other economic regional bodies so that countries with overlapping membership should not have difficulties.

Mr Mwencha, who is the vice-chairperson at the African Union (AU), pointed out that the AU had clearly stated that regional economic communities (REC) should work towards convergence and realise the African common market.

[Times of Zambia]