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Science and Technology in a Democratic South Africa—New Challenges and New Policy Directions

Development Policy Research Unit, School of Economics, University of Cape Town, Private Bag, Rondesbosch 7700, Cape Town, South Africa

The contribution that S&T could make to improving the quality of life of all of the people of South Africa is currently a subject for considerable debate. This is not an academic debate, for, as the ancien regime departs and South Africa restructures, the protagonists are influencing directly the reconfiguration of S& T policies and struc tures. The new government has inherited a highly fragmented system and one in which no organisation has effective overview of the entire science and technology system. Considerable challenges face the new government in devising and imple menting appropriate strategies and policies for science and technology.

The government of National Unity created a new Ministry for Science and Tech nology coupled with Arts and Culture signalling the new orientation of S&T policy framework. At the same time, a major organisational grouping under the Science and Technology Initiative (STI)-involving actors and agencies from S&T, government, professional societies, business, labour unions and other representatives-has under taken work towards reorganisation of science and technology structures.

The paper begins by outlining the major developments in science and technology in South Africa and its current capacities in a comparative mode. This serves as a backdrop for examining the restructuring of the governmental S&T management system towards new national social and economic objectives underlying South African science and technology system.

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