Missed Opportunity

One of the many great tragedies to have befallen Zimbabwe since its inception in 1980, has been its failure to build upon the huge technological strides made by Rhodesia during its period of independence from 1965 - 1980.

Prior to Rhodesia becoming the corrupt Marxist state of Zimbabwe, the industrial and technological base had been diversifying in all areas, having been spurred on by the imposition of sanctions by the United Nations. This emphassis on innovation and ingenuity, had hastened the development of Rhodesia as a truly first world nation.

Since the 19^th century there have been two major social and economic revolutions, which have had profound effects on world history, these have been the Industrial and Information Technology. The world is now on the cusp of another revolution, which promises to have far-reaching and profound effects in the 21^st century. That revolution is the Bio-Technology revolution.

This revolution began to gather steam during the mid 1980's, much of the early reseach work being done by the Max Planck Institute in Munich, Germany. However, due to actions by German pressure groups, notably the Green Party, the focus soon shifted to the United States. Besides the loss of such a crucial new scientific sphere and research thereof, Bayer, the major German pharmaceutical company, decided to build its new plant in the USA rather than Germany, taking with it the creation of 1,300 high quality new jobs.

So what relevance does all this have for Zimbabwe? Well, since the late 1980's the Human Genome Project has been mapping the genetic sequence of human DNA, and during 2000, succeded in enumerating the 3 billion letters of the human genome. This has provided what is in effect, a vein of potential wealth far more valuable than all the gold or diamonds that will ever be dug from the African continent.

This new potential source of enormous wealth is not restricted by geography to certain countries, it is only limited by the ability of the scientific minds and resources devoted by a nation, to mine the vast treasures contained within those 3 billion letters.

It is a a souce of wealth which could thrust developing countries into the first world in a very few years, imagine the potential income from a simple and cost effective cure for cancer, or heart disease or a myriad of other ailments.

Brazil is a country which is just beginning to set out on the road of biotech research. It used $250,000 USD of seed money from a Sao Paulo based science foundation, to initiate what has bloomed into a $20,000,000 USD operation. In fact, Brazilian researchers now lead in sequencing cancers, by 2002 they will finish assembling a full genetic map of a breast cancer tumour. This research will further explode as new start-up ventures appear, providing not only a huge new source of revenue for the nation, but jobs and international prestige.

This is a revolution which African countries should be taking a full and active part in. Not only is there scope in the human genome for generating events which could transform the economy of the continent, but the bio-diversity of the continents flora also provides huge scope for new medicines and cures.

Instead of sending rag-tag armies to interfere in the civil wars of unstable continental neighbours, forward looking African nations should be sending research expeditions. Just as the remote jungle regions harbour new and deadly viral strains, such as Ebola, they also harbour a rich bio-tech harvest, which could change the face of a nations economy and pace of development at lightening speed.

Given the right circumstances and political environment, many of the worlds large pharmaceutical concerns would see investment into an African bio-tech industry as a sound prospect.

Unfortunately, the tragedy for Africa, and for Zimbabwe in particular, is that its corrupt and despotic leaders have no concern for the development of their nations, only in the gold and diamonds which line their own pockets, and the mountains of cash stuffed into their Swiss bank accounts.

There is still time for African countries to wake up and realize that there is a new revolution, which unlike previous revolutions on the African continent, has the potential to bring wealth and prestige to those nations taking part.

If Rhodesia had been allowed to develop as it should, it would no doubt be at the forefront of research and development in this sphere. The great tragedy of Zimbabwe is that it has a leadership working to a clock which is running in reverse. Far from benefiting from the new bio-technology and medical frontiers, they are sliding backwards into the total lack of medical provision for its people.

Once again it can be clearly seen that Africa is digging its own grave, quite literally with the AIDS crisis, and failing to seize the opportunities for social and economic advancement which appear on the horizon.

Africans only have themselves to blame for missing this boat, there are no 'evil' colonialists to blame this failure upon. The only hope for countries such as Zimbabwe, is that the old and tired despots are removed, and forward-looking and realistic govenments are democratically installed. It is not yet too late for African bio-technology, but the leading pack are getting further away and the race will finish, regardless of whether or not Africans take part in it.