What sounds like the stuff of futuristic science fiction is already a quiet reality. The recent announcement of the new site for the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility brings this reality to light, particularly as this site will house level 4 pathogens, some of which are zoonotic, meaning they can jump the species barrier and infect humans.
As a matter of interest, from the 1960s to the 1980s, South Africa pursued research into weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa_and_weapons_of_mass_destruction
