AT LEAST 2 000 families have gone for paternity tests at
the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) Applied Genetics
Testing Centre since last year, a development that proves that genetics
technology is no longer a preserve for the rich.
The Nust DNA lab has been operational since 2015 and it
previously said 30 percent of paternity tests conducted at the lab had exposed
some women as cheats.
Speaking at the commissioning of Nust’s innovation hub by
President Emmerson Mnangagwa last Friday, AGTC director Mr Zephaniah Dlamini
said the institution’s DNA lab has brought genetics testing to people who
previously could not access the services.
“Our DNA testing has been focused on human identification
including individual DNA profiling and data basing, establishment of parentage
and other biological relationships as well as forensic applications including
sexual assault (rape) cases. DNA-based paternity testing has been the most
popular service, to date we have tested over 2000 families coming from all
corners of Zimbabwe,” Mr Dhlamini.
“Before the establishment of the AGTC, the Zimbabwean
public was dependent on laboratories in South Africa and the United Kingdom for
DNA testing, a scenario which made the technology of genetics analysis
expensive and unreachable to the Zimbabwean population which then remained
behind in the utilisation of this ground breaking technology in justice,
medical and agricultural systems.”
He said the AGTC DNA lab has also been involved in projects
of national importance such as identification of victims of mass disasters.
Mr Dhlamini said they are in the process of identifying 150
Cyclone Idai victims that were buried in neighbouring Mozambique.
“We have also helped the police and Government pathology
services to identify victims of mass disasters where people are burnt beyond
recognition or their bodies are dismembered. We can match various body parts to
facilitate individual burials and thus avoid mass burials.
“We were engaged to identify about 150 fellow Zimbabweans
who perished in the Cyclone Idai disaster and were buried unidentified in
Mozambique. We have collected reference samples from the relatives of missing
persons and are awaiting for a go ahead and funding from the government to
identify the victims and bring the most needed closure to their surviving
relatives,” he said.
Mr Dhlamini said even the military can take advantage of
their services and profile their members. “We envisage that our uniformed
forces will take advantage of this technological advancement which is now
within their reach and create a database of their members for ease of
identification in case they die in action as is the norm the world over,” he
said.
“Gone are the days of having a tomb of unknown soldiers, we
are now equipped to identify any remains of our service personnel. The Public
Service Commission can also take advantage of our services and establish a DNA
database for all its employees to do away with so called ghost workers and
nepotism where people employ their relatives without disclosing existing
relationships.”
Mr Dhlamini said they were in talks with the Zimbabwe
National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) on how to protect
endangered species.
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