Is it acceptable in African culture to help a terminally ill person die, in line with a recent high court ruling giving this practice the go-ahead?
Last week, Judge Hans Fabricius ruled in favour of Robin Stransham-Ford who wanted a medical practitioner to help him die but he died of natural causes before the court order was handed down.
But cultural and traditional experts say this is just not in line with African culture.
National House of Traditional Leaders deputy chairman Inkosi Sipho Mahlangu said many South Africans believe that the life and death of a person is in the hands of God or the ancestors.
"A human being should not be involved. We live on a belief system. In our culture it is not right to take the life of another," said Mahlangu.
"Yes, we all take pain differently. If we allow this system [where people assist suicide], it will be abused and the abuse should be prevented.
"Anybody can request to be assisted. Others will end up killing others and cite the system as a reason. Let us allow God to do things His way," said Mahlangu.
Traditional Healers Organisation national coordinator Phephisile Maseko said euthanasia is a Western practice thattraditional healers are supposed to oppose.
"You cannot write off people. When we treat people, we believe they will get better. We are a country that does not have competent doctors. This will not be controlled. It is a disaster.
"Will traditional healers be allowed to do it too? It was not right for the court to give such a ruling. It is culturally and spiritually immoral," said Maseko.
Sithembiso Hadebe, 26, who endured the pain of watching his father Phillip wither away from the effects of cancer, said dying should be left in the hands of God and the ancestors.
Phillip, 54, died in February this year after the family's long struggle to find him help.
"We also took him to traditional healers. He regained his strength for about two months.
"The hospital ended up writing a referral letter for me to take him to a hospice. About five days after admission at the hospice, I was called in and counselled but was not told what was going on," said Hadebe.
He said he was then informed that his father had only a few weeks to live.
"His health deteriorated and I could tell that he had given up on life. Seeing him in so much pain hurt me. He was waiting to die. Though he never said anything about wanting to die, in African culture, killing someone is not allowed," Hadebe said.
Hadebe said to demonstrate that suicide is frowned upon in African culture, the body of a person who has killed himself or herself is not allowed to be taken into their home before burial.
A sacrifice of a goat, sheep or cow has to be offered to the ancestors to ask for forgiveness on behalf of the person.
"[In some cases] The body will be taken out of the coffin and beaten up.
"In a case where the family sees that a relative is terminally ill, an animal must be slaughtered to ask the ancestors to come fetch him or her. The person has to eat the animal's liver and will then die. The ancestors will have accepted him," he said.