Basson, Wouter, 1950-

Wouter Basson (born 6 July 1950) is a South African cardiologist and former head of the country's secret chemical and biological warfare project, Project Coast, during the apartheid era. Nicknamed "Dr. Death" by the press for his alleged actions in apartheid South Africa, Basson was acquitted in 2002 of 67 charges, after having been suspended from his military post with full pay in 1999. Among other charges, Basson was alleged to have supplied a "lethal triple cocktail" of powerful muscle relaxants which were used during Operation Duel whose objective was the systematic elimination of SWAPO prisoners of war and SADF members who posed a threat to South African covert operations. The United Nations report "Project Coast: Apartheid's Chemical and Biological Warfare Programme." identifies the triple cocktail as ketamine, succinylcholine, and tubocurarine. In 2021, the revelation that he was working at a Western Cape Mediclinic facility caused consternation and protests against the company.