Tickets for the AfriForum theatrical event dedicated to the controversial former military doctor of the apartheid era, Walter Basson, were completely sold out ahead of the event. At the event, Basson plans to share his personal experience working on the Cost Project.
Basson was long associated with the Cost Project and headed this secret program while serving in the South African Defence Force (SADF) from 1980 to 1995. Although the Cost Project was officially positioned as a defense research initiative, subsequent investigations revealed that its objectives went beyond this mandate.
Evidence presented over the years indicated that the program researched the development of offensive chemical and biological weapons, including poisonous substances, toxins, and methods for covert target elimination. His leadership of this project brought him widespread notoriety, and critics nicknamed him 'Dr. Death.'
Procedural Proceedings Remain Unresolved
Currently, Basson, who works as a cardiologist in Cape Town, faces 67 criminal charges, but he was acquitted on all counts in 2005. Nevertheless, he continues to contest complaints filed with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) regarding alleged unprofessional conduct.
These complaints relate to his involvement as the head of the Cost Project. In December 2013, Basson was found guilty of unprofessional conduct following a disciplinary hearing that examined allegations related to his actions while leading the apartheid government's chemical and biological warfare initiative. The start of the sentencing process took place in January 2015 but was suspended for several reasons, including legal proceedings concerning the removal of committee members. To date, the case against him remains unresolved.
Supreme Court Rejected Attempt to Halt Investigation
The legal battle surrounding Basson continued this year when the Pretoria High Court dismissed his application for the complete termination of the disciplinary proceedings. The court ruled that despite lengthy delays, Basson had failed to demonstrate sufficient harm to justify halting the investigation. Consequently, the HPCSA disciplinary process remains active.
He subsequently filed an application for leave to appeal, which was also rejected. The court determined that four charges brought against him were so serious that he must accept the consequences, and that no appeal on this matter would succeed. In the early 2000s, Basson faced 67 criminal charges but was acquitted of all of them in 2005.
More than three decades after the end of apartheid, Basson remains one of South Africa's most controversial public figures. Human rights organizations and groups representing apartheid victims consistently assert that his involvement in the Cost Project places him at the center of one of the most secretive and ethically condemned programs of the apartheid state.
Meanwhile, his sold-out event will take place Friday evening at a 380-seat theatre in Greenlyn Village Centre in Menlo Park, Pretoria. Ticket prices were 180 rand.
