Growing concern over government's nuclear plans

This is likely to set him on a collision course with cabinet colleagues and possibly President Jacob Zuma.

In his state of the nation speech in February Zuma said that the plan to buy 9600 megawatts of nuclear power were at an advanced stage. 

Minister of Energy Tina Joematt-Pettersson has echoed this but consistently refused to reveal her department's costing and modelling that justify what could be a trillion rand project.

Nene is under significant pressure to back the Zuma-nuclear plan. 

While he remains resolute that he will hold the line on this issue, he may well find support in the ANC. 

Party discussion documents that have been released ahead of its National General Council meeting in October confirm that there is growing concern in the party about the secrecy and lack of transparency around the nuclear deal. 

A new dimension of politics was added to this stand-off last week when a fake intelligence document was leaked in an attempt to paint Nene and his treasury officials as puppets of the old white establishment who want to control treasury.

(File photo: Gallo Images)