Financial and political turmoil are endangering research in South Africa‚ according to a report.According to a report in Nature‚ funding cuts have threatened agencies such as the South African Medical Research Council (MRC)‚ delaying university projects and reducing researchers’ abilities to run labs and recruit young scientists. The big impact is apparently being felt less by established researchers‚ who can source funding overseas‚ but mainly by young scientists who are more reliant on government and universities. Part of this funding crisis can be seen as a direct link from the #FeesMustFall movement that saw proposed fee increases squashed last year.According to the report without the fee increases to compensate for the funding cuts‚ universities are facing serious budget shortfalls.Political violence is further adding strain to our country’s ability to do science – as vandals targeted university property‚ destroying the infrastructure required for a lot of research.Examples of the damage caused by the protests include: In February students at North West University's Mafikeng campus burned down its science centre. In March Stellenbosch University an administration office was gutted by a fire. In April a lecture hall was set alight at Wits. In May several buildings were burnt at the Vaal University of Technology.Minister Blade Nzimande told Parliament in June the estimated total cost of repairing property damaged since October‚ when the #feesmustfall protests began‚ was R459.8-million.#FeesMustFall leaders trash R460 million billLeaders of #FeesMustFall have refused to have their movement's legacy tainted by the protests that caused nearly R460-million in damages to varsity property. Later that month‚ student leaders at the University of Witwatersrand and University of Johannesburg promised to not burn any more campuses...