South Africa: I Support ‘Mercy Killing’, Tutu

By Staff Writer

South African Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has come out strongly in support of assisted dying, euthanasia for the terminally in an article published on Saturday July 12 .

Tutu a Nobel Peace Prize winner in his article published in Britain’s Observer Newspaper said he had been convinced by the case of Craig Schonegevel, a 28-year-old South African who had neurofibromatosis and ended up taking 12 sleeping pills and pulling plastic bags over his head because doctors were unable to end his life.

“Some people opine that with good palliative care there is no need for assisted dying, no need for people to request to be legally given a lethal dose of medication,” He wrote. “That was not the case for Schonegevel. Others assert their right to autonomy and consciousness, why exit in the fog of sedation when there’s the alternative of being alert and truly present with loved ones?”

Tutu’s comments came a day after the former leader of the Church of England, George Carey expressed support for a bill to legalize assisted dying in Britain, saying he had changed his mind about the issue.

South Africa’s legal system denied Schonegevel the right to die with dignity, Tutu said.

“We need to revisit our own South African laws, which are not aligned to a constitution that espouses the human right to dignity.”

Tutu slammed the way Nelson Mandela had been treated in his final months.

“What was done to Madiba was disgraceful. There was that occasion when Madiba was televised with political leaders, President Jacob Zuma and Cyril Ramaphosa. You could see Madiba was not fully there. He did not speak. He was not connecting. My friend was no longer himself. It was an affront to Madiba’s dignity.”

Tutu said he had asked his family not to prolong his life artificially. He said he would want to die at home after saying goodbye to loved ones.

The Church of England has called for a royal commission to be held on assisted dying. Britain’s Assisted Dying Bill is to have its second reading, and possibly be put to the vote, in the House of Lords on Friday.

A call for South Africa to legalize assisted dying was made in 2012 by University of Western Cape (UWC) Prof. Sean Davison, who had served five months’ home detention in New Zealand after helping his cancer-stricken mother to end her life. She had asked him for help and he gave her a lethal dose of morphine. He was arrested after a leak from his draft book on his experience.

It was a letter from Tutu, testifying to his character, which helped him to gain bail.

Tutu wrote: “Although I respect the law in New Zealand I feel the case of Dr Sean Davison is an exceptional and tragic one… in my option he is an upright citizen who has made a contribution to society and has much more to offer.”

If Prof. Davidson’s and Tutu’s call to adopt ‘mercy killings’ is adopted, South Africa will be the first African country to legalize Euthanasia with Netherlands  being the first in the world in April 2002 followed by Belgium in September in the same year. 

Meanwhile Switzerland allows suicide assisted by doctors and those with medical training but euthanasia is not legal in the country and in the USA, state of Oregon enacted a law that allows physician assisted suicide in November 1994 which government has tried to challenge but so far has not been successful.