Page 50 - VHSA - Onderstepoort 100 Years - Part 1

ONDERSTEPOORT 100
by Mönnig, government decided to establish a parastatal Agricultural Research Council (ARC). On this date the Veterinary Research Institute was transferred from the Department of Agriculture, of which it had formed part since its inception, to the ARC. This move was widely welcomed by all 13 agricultural institutes involved, since it meant greater autonomy and freedom from government bureaucracy. However, for Onderstepoort it also meant the separation of some of its constituents. The ARC was unwilling to accept the financial responsibility for the semi- commercial vaccine factory, and the Department of Agriculture preferred to retain control over the FMD Laboratory in view of its strategic importance (see also Part 3: Vaccine Production and OBP). These two former sub-directorates were there- fore not transferred to the ARC. The Insti-
occurrence of nagana in KwaZulu-Natal. The latter project can be regarded as a first veterinary study for the specific benefit of the developing farmers in that area.
Attempts to involve organized agriculture, representing the commercial farmers, in supporting research programmes was initially less successful. One reason for this was the declining agricultural economy caused by a prolonged drought, and another was the uncertainty about the future of the marketing boards which acted as the funding agencies of the various agricultural industries. It took a number of years before this problem could, to some extent, be addressed.
The political reform in South Africa, which followed the historic announcement in 1990 in Parliament of the unbanning of the African National Congress, opened up the international scientific scene for its scientists after many years of isolation. Especially gratifying were the increased opportunities to become involved in Africa as reflected by the attendance of various conferences on the continent by Onderstepoort staff members. One result of this exposure was the decision by Verwoerd in 1993 to transform the Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research in its 60th year of publication from an essentially in- house journal into a publication specializing in veterinary problems unique to Africa. International recognition of the role that South Africa can play in the development of its neighbours culminated in the signing during November 1993 of an agreement establishing an OIE Regional Collaborating Centre (OIE-RCC) for southern Africa at
Onderstepoort.
A festive occasion was arranged at the
OVI to welcome the signatories, the Minis-
ter of Agriculture, Dr A.I. (Kraai) van Niekerk, and the Director General of the OIE (Office International des Epizooties), Dr J. Blancou. The Centre was tasked to coordinate and administer various veterinary programmes aimed at the development of mainly the anglophone countries of southern and East Africa, including the activities of six OIE International Reference Laboratories for specific African diseases which had been established at Onderstepoort at earlier dates. Verwoerd was later (1999) awarded the Order of Merit of the OIE for his
leading role in these activities.
The formation of a government of national unity
following the historic general election in 1994 drastically changed the political scene in the country. The economic priorities of the new government shifted towards the uplift- ment of previously disadvantaged communities and the ARC- OVI did not escape the effects of economic reform. A syste- matic reduction of the parliamentary allocation to the ARC (through the Department of Science and Technology) over a number of years had to be balanced by reducing expenditure
tute was renamed the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVI) and the vaccine factory became known as Onderste- poort Biological Products (OBP), a name that it retained when it was fully commercia- lized in 2000.
The change to parastatal status neces- sitated a major change in policy and in cor- porate culture. Independence from direct government funding required the genera- tion of external income from research con- tracts, grants and diagnostic and other services. This in turn meant a change from science-driven to client-driven research. In order to promote a multi-disciplinary approach to the solution of client’s prob- lems, the OVI’s research activities were restructured into 18 programmes, each
50 driven by a programme leader and involving
researchers from all relevant scientific
disciplines. Unavoidably the emphasis in
these programmes shifted from long-term
basic to short-term applied research and to
services required by its clients. At the same
and its scientists, so inexperienced in these fields, had to develop marketing capabilities and strategies.
Initially, the most important clients were OBP and several state and provincial departments. Since vaccine develop- ment traditionally formed the backbone of the Institute’s research it remained a major activity. A new research unit, largely financed by OBP, was established at the OVI for the development and improvement of bacterial vaccines. This initiative led to the development of a new plasmid-cured live attenuated vaccine against salmonellosis in calves and of a highly effective leukotoxin vaccine against pasteurellosis a year or two later by M.W. (Mike) Odendaal and co-workers. Major contracts for the Department of Agriculture included the development of a successful programme for the control of a severe blackfly (Simulium) infestation along the Orange River, the investigation of the outbreak of tuberculosis in buffaloes in the Kruger National Park and research into the re-
“1 April 1992 was a turning point in the history of Onderstepoort. Forty years after it was first formally proposed by Mönnig, government decided to establish a parastatal Agricultural Research Council (ARC). On this date the Veterinary Research Institute was transferred from the Department of Agriculture, of which it had formed part since its inception, to the ARC.”
time the Institute
PART 1
Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute: General History
1908-2008
Years