BY KUDZAI CHIMHANGWA ZIMBABWE has been urged to invest into research as this is an enabler towards employment creation and substantial economic development. Former Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries President Callisto Jokonya said that besides importing raw materials, Zimbabwe is a landlocked country that already faces many costs in the selling and distribution of its products.“Our industry is not competitive because it is simply an import substitution industry created long ago by Ian Smith’s government to counter United Nations sanctions. “We currently have a 90% unemployment rate but through the credibility and integrity provided by research, a businessperson is able to plan and create downstream employment,” he said. “We can gain a competitive advantage through developing our own raw materials and research can provide that.” The United States of America, Germany, China, Brazil and South Africa among others are examples of countries that have realised astronomic levels of economic growth through the establishment of well co-ordinated research programmes. However, Zimbabwe’s national research system has been characterised by limited financing of research. Government approved four thematic National Research Priorities (NRPs) in 2011 in recognition of the importance of research to socio-economic development. The thematic areas are sustainable environmental and resource management, social sciences and humanities, health promotion and Zimbabwe’s national security. Speaking at a workshop organised by the Research Council of Zimbabwe (RCZ) Science and Technology minister, Heneri Dzinotyiwei, said the NRPs come at a time when the country is headed towards economic recovery. “Very rarely do we go into a systematic analysis of the factors that drive the development of other countries’ economies. This country has tended to play a leadership role since the pre-independence era in terms of industrial development and agricultural activities,” he said, adding that South Africa and other Southern African countries followed suit as Zimbabwe was once a beacon of development. He added that in order for Zimbabwe’s economy to be meaningfully transformed, a minimum of 1% contribution of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to research is vital in line with the African Union and Sadc positions. Participants heard that 3,3% of Sweden’s GDP is contributed towards research, 1,4% of China GDP to the same while 0,70% of South Africa’s GDP also goes towards research. Although South Africa’s GDP contribution ranks among the highest in Africa, the African region generally falls short of the minimum 1% of GDP funding for research.
