'Stop Dr Death practising'

Cardiologist and former apartheid chemical and biological warfare expert Wouter Basson acted with impunity and never acknowledged any responsibility and should be struck off the register of medical practitioners.

This is according to a petition by 230 health professionals and 32 organisations submitted to the Health Professions Council of South Africa hearing in Pretoria yesterday in aggravation of Basson's sentence.

The petition, endorsed by the South African Medical Association and Doctors without Borders among others, states: "For too long apartheid agents have got away with murder. It is time to end that now. Dr Basson has acted with impunity and never acknowledged any responsibility."

The HPSCA found Basson guilty in December of unprofessional conduct for his role as head of the apartheid regime's chemical and biological warfare programme, code-named Project Coast, in the 1980s.

The programme carried out mass manufacture of mandrax, cocaine, teargas as well as teargas-filled mortars sent to Unita rebel leader Jonathan Savimbi in Angola.

Basson was also found guilty of providing disorientating substances for cross-border kidnapping and making cyanide capsules available for distribution.

The petitioners argue that Basson never applied for amnesty, never apologised and showed no respect for moral choices expected of a doctor.

"Basson has chosen not to learn from his mistakes by denying he made any ... these charges alone show how shocking his actions were.

"It is not for nothing that Dr Basson has become known as Dr Death."

The petitioners state that the correct punishment is for him to be struck off the medical register.

"Anything less would be a travesty of justice."

Advocate Sallie Joubert SC said he would argue that Basson's actions amounted to disgraceful conduct and that he was a disgrace to the medical profession.

"The committee should consider the nature of the transgressions. The transgressions are of an unprofessional conduct, of a disgraceful nature," he said.

Joubert called Section 27 director Mark Heywood - who administered and sought support for the petition - to the witness stand to testify in aggravation of sentence.

Basson's advocate, Jacques Cilliers SC, asked for an adjournment to today to prepare his cross-examination.

In 2002, Basson was acquitted by the Pretoria High Court of criminal charges arising from his conduct as head of Project Coast.