An African ethical perspective on South Africa's regulatory frameworks governing animals in research

Abstract

In South Africa, there is currently no legislation that addresses animal experimentation directly. There is, however, a complex framework that consists of laws, national standards, and institutional guidelines governing the use of animals in scientific settings. Consequently, this paper starts by unpacking this framework, both legal and voluntary, in the South African context. Thereafter, it examines some criticisms against this framework. It subsequently proposes that an African ethic could respond to these criticisms, and so unpacks the central tenets of an African ethic in order to demonstrate how it may do this. Finally, it will argue that there are convincing moral reasons, from within an African framework, to significantly reduce, and even abolish, the use of animals in research, and that it should be enacted in legal regulations.

Keywords: African ethics; Animal experimentation; Animal testing; Scientific research; South Africa; Vivisection.