While selling a kidney is illegal, many unemployed South Africans say they would do it to pay the bills.
|||Durban - “I am 34 years old, I lost my business months ago. Of course I would sell my kidney.”
This is one of the several telling stories from Durbanites who said they were willing to sell one of their kidneys for financial gain after The Independent on Saturday published a report last week about South Africans selling organs on the internet.
On www.havocscope.com Durban residents have offered their kidneys for sale at prices up to R2 000 000.
One resident, who wanted to be named only as Bob, said he had no problem with selling one of his kidneys. “I am 34 years old, lost my business a few months ago and as a white male it is not easy to find employment - I would definitely sell my kidney to pay the bills.”
A 60-year-old Durban pensioner said he was willing to sell his kidney for R100 000. “I think the other people are asking too much… I would be able to help my family financially.”
A young Durban woman said: “I do understand that this is illegal in South Africa. I would be willing to sell one of my kidneys if it means financial gain and if it means me doing it abroad where it is legal, I will agree.”
Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo has expressed shock at the online kidney selling phenomenon.
A stunned Dhlomo described the practice as barbaric, questioning who performed the operations. “What is this world coming to if people can just sell their organs online this easily?” he asked.
A doctor, Dhlomo said according to the Organ Transplant Act it is illegal to sell organs. “How do you even begin to put a price on an organ?”
Dhlomo urged people not to “place their lives at risk for a quick buck”. Dhlomo - who in 2010 during the kidney transplant scandal called for further action against healthcare giant Netcare after it emerged that the illegal operations were conducted at St Augustine’s Hospital - called on the police to monitor the website and bring those behind it to book.
“Not only is the practice illegal, it is just barbaric,” he said.
During the scandal Netcare pleaded guilty, paying a R4 million fine. The hospital and four top Durban surgeons were implicated in a scheme in which from 2001 to 2003, poor Brazilians allegedly sold their kidneys to wealthy Israeli patients.
After a 10-year legal battle, charges of illegal kidney transplants against the surgeons were dropped at the Commercial Crimes Court in February.
Independent on Saturday