Basson's private ECG tutoring sets pulses racing.

Professionally disgraced apart heid-era architect of chemi cal and biological ‘dirty tricks’ weaponry Dr Wouter Basson continued to tutor Stellenbosch University medical students at a private medical hospital for 11 months after being convicted of unethical conduct. The maverick clinician’s involvement with young medical minds has drawn fire from top ethicists and the official campus student medical body. The latest twist in the tortuous 14-yearplus drama surrounding the unrepentant cardiologist, found guilty of unethical conduct in December 2013 by a Medical and Dental Professionals Board (MDPB) conduct tribunal, prompted belated but vigorous debate on the Stellenbosch medical campus. His second appeal to the Supreme Court to have the MDPB tribunal recuse itself on grounds of its being ‘biased’ by having failed to disassociate itself from a South African Medical Association (SAMA) statement supporting a petition calling for the ‘strongest possible censure’ of him is due to be heard on 9 February. Basson’s lawyers walked out of what would have been the start of his sentencing in December 2014, claiming that tribunal members Profs Jannie Hugo and Eddie Mhlanga were members of SAMA and therefore inherently biased. Basson’s team returned in April last year, bearing a High Court-approved order that the tribunal hear their application for recusal. The tribunal complied, but turned it down flat, chairperson Hugo saying that he and his colleague were inactive in SAMA management, with their association confined to academic and professional work. Hugo assured Basson that he and Mhlanga were ‘acutely aware of our duties in this matter’, and pledged to ensure that he continued to experience a fair trial. Undeterred, Basson and his lawyers then applied to the High Court to overrule the MDPB response.