Schabir Shaik ‘belongs in prison’

CAPE TOWN – Convicted Durban fraudster Schabir Shaik is “back where he belongs” in prison, Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour told MPs on Tuesday.

“I have a report here… that’s coming from our doctors in KwaZulu-Natal.I read the report last night [and] I made up my mind…by 06:00 this morning, Schabir Shaik is back in prison,” he announced to members of Parliament’s correctional services portfolio committee.Balfour said it would be “very unethical” to make the report public.”He’s back in prison.I’ve made sure that he goes, based on this report, not based on anything else.If anyone wants to go out of here and make anything out of that, that’s his or her own problem.”I’ve just got the offender back to where he belongs.That’s my job.My job is not to be talking about who’s healthy and who’s not healthy.My job is to make sure that the offender goes back to where he belongs.”So by 06:00 he was back there, and I’m not going to give any interviews on that …I’ve done what needs to be done.”Balfour said that in future no prisoner of Shaik’s “calibre” would be allowed to leave a correctional services centre without newly appointed correctional services national commissioner Vernie Petersen approving the move.Petersen was present at the committee meeting, the first he has attended in his new position.”He has to give the go-ahead,” Balfour said, pointing to Petersen who sat at his right hand.A month ago, Shaik was admitted to Durban’s Nkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital suffering from hypertension and depression.Shaik’s long stays in hospital since his prison term began have led to accusations he is receiving preferential treatment.Committee chairperson Dennis Bloem welcomed Balfour’s announcement.”I think it is the correct decision you have announced this morning …the decision is based on doctors’ reports and not on any other thing.”He must go back to prison where he belongs.He is there for 15 years, and that’s it.”Mr Petersen must make sure that this perception of preferential treatment must never be there.If there was preferential treatment, the minister would not have taken this decision,” Bloem said.Nampa-Sapathat’s coming from our doctors in KwaZulu-Natal.I read the report last night [and] I made up my mind…by 06:00 this morning, Schabir Shaik is back in prison,” he announced to members of Parliament’s correctional services portfolio committee.Balfour said it would be “very unethical” to make the report public.”He’s back in prison.I’ve made sure that he goes, based on this report, not based on anything else.If anyone wants to go out of here and make anything out of that, that’s his or her own problem.”I’ve just got the offender back to where he belongs.That’s my job.My job is not to be talking about who’s healthy and who’s not healthy.My job is to make sure that the offender goes back to where he belongs.”So by 06:00 he was back there, and I’m not going to give any interviews on that …I’ve done what needs to be done.”Balfour said that in future no prisoner of Shaik’s “calibre” would be allowed to leave a correctional services centre without newly appointed correctional services national commissioner Vernie Petersen approving the move.Petersen was present at the committee meeting, the first he has attended in his new position.”He has to give the go-ahead,” Balfour said, pointing to Petersen who sat at his right hand.A month ago, Shaik was admitted to Durban’s Nkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital suffering from hypertension and depression.Shaik’s long stays in hospital since his prison term began have led to accusations he is receiving preferential treatment.Committee chairperson Dennis Bloem welcomed Balfour’s announcement.”I think it is the correct decision you have announced this morning …the decision is based on doctors’ reports and not on any other thing.”He must go back to prison where he belongs.He is there for 15 years, and that’s it.”Mr Petersen must make sure that this perception of preferential treatment must never be there.If there was preferential treatment, the minister would not have taken this decision,” Bloem said.Nampa-Sapa