Science, Technology Policy Faces Major Reshaping In The New South Africa

If science and technology are the engines of progress for the nations of the world, then a vast and daunting reengineering job is in store for the new South Africa. Those taking over the reins in President Nelson Mandela's government have only the beginnings of a road map for moving that country of some 35 million, including some 5 million whites, into a stage where its technical institutions work for the benefit of all. Mandela's African National Congress (ANC) Party has formally been planning the transition process for the past three years. But few, white or black, have a clue as to what it means to integrate science and technology policy into the governance of a country with no democratic traditions and a lot of reconciliation to achieve. Only recently has the World Bank recognized the transition and assigned its economists to write an analysis of South Africa's problems. This report is due for release ...