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CHUFFED: Dr Wouter Basson says he is happy that two of the charges he was facing have been dropped. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi
DIANNE HAWKER
How do you eat an elephant? You do it bit by bit. In Afrikaans we say ‘happie per happie’. Baby steps at a time.”
This is how Dr Wouter Basson described his legal strategy after the partial success of an application to have six charges of unprofessional conduct dropped.
Basson is facing a professional conduct inquiry into his involvement in Project Coast, the bio-chemical weapons programme he ran for the apartheid government.
Speaking to The Sunday Independent on Friday afternoon, Basson said he was “chuffed” that two of the charges had been dropped in their entirety, and part of another charge had also been removed from the charge sheet.
During the course of the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA) hearing in Pretoria, the pro-forma complainant conceded that there was no evidence to support charges one, three and part of charge two – which accused Basson of accepting appointment as project officer of the apartheid-era biochemical programme, Project Coast, and for testing chemical irritants and incapacitating substances.
However, Basson still stands accused of:
l Producing “drugs and tear-gases on a major scale”
l Weaponising “thousands of 120mm mortars with teargas” - some of which were supplied to Angola’s late rebel Jonas Sivimbi
l Providing “disorientation substances” for kidnapping exercises
l Supplying cyanide capsules to soldiers “for suicidal usage”
Arguing for the pro-forma complainant, advocate Salie Joubert said that by manufacturing these chemicals, Basson was “clearly in contravention of the ethical rules applicable to a medical practitioner”.
The charges are based on evidence which he gave during the criminal trail, which resulted in Basson’s acquittal, where he explained how he produced drugs such as cocaine and mandrax along with biological chemicals.
However, Basson has always maintained he has done nothing wrong, acting only on instruction as a soldier. His legal team had pointed to inconsistencies in the evidence of the two expert witnesses as sufficient reason to discharge the case, however the panel adjudicating the case dismissed this theory.
After previously admitting embarrassment over certain concessions made in the evidence of Dr David Benatar, the prosecution brought in a second expert witness – US-based medical ethics expert Professor Steven Miles. In Miles’s opinion, Basson acted unethically.
On Friday he told The Sunday Independent he did not believe Miles’s opinion would sink him.
“I listened to both opinions. Dr David Benatar gave a very balanced opinion. Professor Miles gave a political opinion. He was driven by self motivation and very little facts,” he said.
“If you look at the so called transgressions, it has nothing to do with medicine. This was a hell of a long time ago. Nobody remembers, and I’m not sure that anybody cares.”
Speaking from his practice in Cape Town, Basson sounded confident about his team’s rebuttal.
“We’ve planned this meticulously. We’ve finalised the process and I believe that by the end of February we will know what the strategy will be. The Basson-Cilliers road show will arrive in force,” he said referring to his counsel, advocate Jaap Cilliers SC.
When asked whether he would testify, Basson said: “Let the prosecution lose sleep over that one.
“Did I not testify in my court case? Why would I not testify now? I have nothing to hide. I have never run from anything. I don’t want to start now,” he added.
Basson again reiterated claims that the hearing, which could see him losing his medical licence, is politically motivated, saying the HPCSA “is not concerned with the welfare of the 10 000 patients I’ve treated.”
“The patients are terribly concerned about the fact that I might not be here to treat them. I can only assure them that I’ve done nothing in the medical field to be worried about. I can only assure them of my own behaviour.”
Meanwhile the HPCSA said it felt “vindicated” by the ruling.
Dr Kgosi Letlape, acting registrar and chief executive said it was important for South Africans to understand the role of medical ethics. He said the involvement of physicians in war time experiments was contrary to the ethical code which all doctors subscribe to. The case will resume on March 26.
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Pam Botha, wrote
This is shameful beyond deion and it is embarrassing to have to admit he is a respected doctor in my area.
Modisa Kgotla, wrote
To Basson: the memory is still fresh,time is not a factor here.Indeed we remember Adolf Eichmann,Klause "Butcher of Lyon"Barbie,Josef " Angel of Death" Mengele, Erich Priebke and Wouter Basson, your deeds will remain indelible in our colletive memory, fool youself not.We remember the gas chambers they presided over.We remember how they gave the same tired and repugnant response of "following orders" during justice time in Israel courts of law consequent to their capture by Mossad.We remeber you and some of us are afraid of your destructive capabilities, your indepth knowledge of medical science is dangerous to humanity.Consider yourself fortunate because you are a South African and your country chose reconciliation over retribution otherwise you would'nt be sitting there and "chuffed". You are a lucky soldier, be grateful instead of spiteful.
Louis George, wrote
'The struggle of people against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting' (Kundera). And now Dr Basson thinks that nobody remembers or cares about his violations of human rights and of the ethics of his profession. What disrespect for fellow humans! What a complete lack of understanding of the magnitude of the harm he inflicted! What arrogance! If we forget Dr Basson did these things as a doctor we trivialise the whole idea of medical ethics and open the door for them to happen again.
Maila, wrote
Dr Bassons seems to have forgotten that he signed a Hippocratic Oath when he became a doctor and that the said Hippocratic Oat did not have time limitation on the validity of the commitments he was making.
marion , wrote
How dare Wouter Basson say no one cares. How dare he say it was so long ago no one remembers. It is only 20 or so years ago. Of course people remember. Of course people are still horrified at what he did. Being a soldier is no excuse. He is a medical doctor - war or no war. And I must say, as a tax payer, I really do resent having to pay his legal fees.
joline young, wrote
Brian, wrote
Dear Dr Basson, yes I care. You need to confront your past and face the consequences. You are just lucky the HSPCA is so ineffectual,
Phyllis Orner, wrote
I remember and I care very much that medical ethics that doctors are meant to adhere to is being trivialized and that totally unethical practice by Wouter Basson as a medical doctor will be exonerated if he gets off the charges. It is not acceptable to claim that he was doing his duty as a soldier when so many other South Africans refused to serve in the apartheid armed forces for ethical reasons.
Catherine, wrote
Nicole, wrote
I think it is completely inaccurate to say nobody remembers or cares. The thousands of victims cared, their families care. There are a number of medical professionals who are following this case closely. Wouter Basson acted unethically and should not be allowed to practice medicine. This case has absolutely nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the fact that health care providers need to act ethically and not use their skills to cause harm. It would be a travesty of justice if the rest of the charges were dropped.
Sarah Crawford-Browne, wrote
How is it possible that Wouter Basson can say "This was a hell of a long time ago. Nobody remembers, and I’m not sure that anybody cares." How is it possible that people think the affects of Apartheid are in the past when they drive past an informal settlement or listen to the matric result discussions? While I don't want to speak for Wouter Basson's victims, I worry that they still may be carrying emotional and physical pain. How can we allow him to say this is in the past - when we are all affected by what he and the Apartheid regime. I'm furious that we have allowed him the space so he doesn't realise he can't say this. We haven't done enough yet so that people know that we reject the Apartheid past.
Virginia Zweigenthal, wrote
We do remember and care, Mr Basson! You were an active agent in the perpetuation of the apartheid regime and knowingly used your medical training to inflict injury. It is a shocker that he is allowed to practice!
Leslie, wrote
Wouter Basson violated medical ethics, no matter how much he protests he was obeying orders, or acting as a soldier. South Africans have forgotten a lot, and forgiven much, but they won't forget Dr Wouter Basson, precisely beause he has the gall to deny his role in gross violations of human rights - as a doctor, nogal!
Leslie, wrote
Wouter Basson violated medical ethics. He can claim as much as he likes that he was a soldier, or obeying orders, but his conduct is a stain on medical ethics. History will be judge of who cares.
Ahmed, wrote
Nobody remembers and nobody cares? I'm sure you would like to believe that dr Death. Your 10000 patients probably consist of whites only. My friend saw you at N1 City Hospital and she was shocked to the core. Her words? "How COULD they still allow him to practice? I would never want to see him even if I'm dying"
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