Apartheid-Era Doctor Loses Bid to Halt Disciplinary Case

By Staff, Agencies

Cape Town cardiologist Dr. Wouter Basson has failed in his latest attempt to halt disciplinary proceedings over his role in apartheid South Africa's former chemical and biological warfare program.

The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria rejected Basson's application for a permanent stay of proceedings before the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and later dismissed his request for leave to appeal, ruling that the allegations against him are sufficiently serious to warrant a disciplinary hearing.

Basson, 75, was found guilty of unprofessional conduct by the HPCSA in 2013 following an inquiry into his actions during the 1980s, when he headed Project Coast, the apartheid government's secret chemical and biological warfare program.

Although sentencing proceedings began in 2015, the case has remained unresolved due to a series of legal challenges, including applications seeking the recusal of disciplinary committee members.

The complaints against Basson stem from his service in the South African Defence Force between 1980 and 1995, where he led Project Coast. While he was acquitted of 67 criminal charges in 2005, the disciplinary case has continued separately.

The four disciplinary charges include allegations that Basson coordinated the large-scale production of drugs, including Methaqualone (Mandrax), and tear gas between 1986 and 1992, and oversaw the use of chemical agents and substances intended to incapacitate victims.

The HPCSA's expert witness, Professor Steven Miles, concluded that Basson violated medical ethics by directing the production of chemical agents, facilitating their weaponization, and supplying substances used to tranquilize victims.

Basson objected to the court's reliance on Miles' opinion, but the court ruled that the disciplinary proceedings should continue.