From the chairperson’s desk

Of all the beacons in life’s journey, death is the supreme certainty.

Far from casting a shadow over our lives, the inevitability of our death should be a liberating compass, reminding us of the control we have over our lives. It should guide our perspective on how we live, gently reminding us of life’s privileges and enjoyments, and our responsibilities.

Death – that unavoidable destination – is always preceded by dying. For some, dying is a process, protracted or short; for others, dying is an event, sudden and unexpected. We do not know what it will be.

The dying process may be peaceful and serene. Or it may be consumed by suffering, debilitating and agonising, the most difficult challenge of our lives.

It is in this space that DignitySA locates its vision and mission – in the choices of the dying process, and in professional and institutional support for the options on which we rely to make those choices possible.

Although DignitySA was founded with a focus on assisted dying, it has always publicly engaged with the whole range of end-of-life choice – with refusal of treatment, mitigating suffering, and advance directives (living wills; healthcare proxies). And we were instrumental in the formulation of draft advance-directive legislation.

In the past year, our focus on the full range of end-of-life choices has become more purposeful and is reflected in our social-media engagements and on our website. It testifies to the invigorating presence of a younger generation that has joined our ranks, with an array of original ideas and complementary skills.

Crucial to these developments is our desire to have a wider impact in society – among the public in general but also among interest groups with whom we operate in the same space, most notably the healthcare community, and, in particular, the palliative care community.

This, the first of our newsletters, serves as a window on our concerns and activities. It strives to be informative and educational. In tone, it recognises the gravitas of death and dying but seeks to balance it with a lightness that does not trivialise. The article on palliative care in this inaugural issue is testament to our commitment to championing access to high-quality care for all at the end of life.

DignitySA takes seriously the fact that, ultimately, changes in end-of-life decision-making options will require legal initiatives that strive to make our laws more sensitive to the realities of dying in the era of modern medicine. The permissions granted to us by the Bill of Rights of our Constitution are, in our opinion, as yet unrealised. Hence, we will revive the stalled draft advance-directive legislation, and we are on the brink of lodging our papers in the High Court to decriminalise and legalise assisted dying.

The donations we’ve received to date have made these legal initiatives possible and now we are looking to grow our communications and advocacy activities. This newsletter marks that beginning, and we hope you will travel with us. It is likely that there is a long road ahead to make a lasting difference in the lives of all South Africans, and we are committed to this. Your support makes all the difference – we treasure it, and welcome hearing from you.

Prof Willem Landman

Chairperson