NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO. 1545
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 10 June 2011
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 15)
Mr M Waters (DA) to ask the Minister of Health:
(1) Whether the task team that is required to trace the 358 missing
radiation sources has been established by the directorate of Radiation
Control; if not, (a) why not and (b) when will the task team be
established; if so, (i) when was the task team established, (ii) who
is serving on the task team and (iii) on what dates did the task team
meet;
(2) whether any of the 358 missing radiation sources has been found; if
so, (a) how many, (b) where has each source been found and (c) what
steps have been taken to find the remaining sources?
NW1710E
REPLY:
(1) (i) The Minister of Health established a Ministerial Task Team in
December 2010 to address the problems that have been experienced
by the Directorate Radiation Control in respect of 358 missing
radiation sources. The Ministerial Task Team was appointed to
regain control over Radio-nuclides, a GroupIV hazardous
substance as regulated by Act 15 of 1973 and Regulations R247 of
1993, in South Africa.
(ii) Names and designations of the Task Team members from register
|Member |Designation |Organisation |
|Prof Gordon |Director |GSY Consulting cc |
|Sibiya | | |
|Mr PD Du Toit |President M.Med.Sc |SA Association for |
| |(Medical Physics); MBA|Physics in Medical |
| | |and Biology |
|Prof M J Lotter |Medical Physics |Retired |
|Mr Seppie |Director |Radio-nuclides, |
|Olivier | |National Department |
| | |of Health |
|Ms Emma Snyman |Deputy Director |Radio-nuclides, |
| | |National Department |
| | |of Health |
|Adv B M Mkhize |CEO |National Nuclear |
| | |Regulator |
|Mr Phillip |Senior Manager: Import|International Trade |
|Snyman |and Export control |Administration |
| | |Commission (ITAC) |
|Mr Mnonoki |Chief Technical |National Nuclear |
|Msebenzi (Knox) |Officer |Regulator |
|Mr Frik Beeslaar|Manager: Radiation |Nuclear Energy |
| |Protection Services |Cooperation for South|
| | |Africa (NECSA) |
|Captain Ben Nel |Captain |Crime Against the |
| | |State |
|Ms Thabile |Senior Manager: |South African Revenue|
|Ntombela |Customer Strategic |Service |
| |partnership | |
|Mr Pieter Rassie|Counter Proliferation |Component C134, State|
|Erasmus |Investigator |Security Agency |
| | |(Domestic Branch) |
|Advocate Anton |Special Advisor |National Prosecuting |
|Ackerman | |Authority (NPA) |
|Mr Jeetesh |Director |Nurclear Policy and |
|Keshaw | |Technology: |
| | |Department of Energy |
(iii) The first meeting of the Ministerial Task Team was held on 02
February 2011. The Task Team met again on 13 July 2011 in order
to consider to consider the status of work done in respect of
the 358 missing radiation sources and steps taken to find all
missing sources.
(2) None of the missing sources have as yet been found as there have been
challenges related to identifying them based on the location reflected
in the existing registers. However, a report on progress made in
respect of the mission sources will be presented by the end of August
2011.
END.