Free man Shaik is organising for Zuma’s party

“Terminally ill” convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik, released from prison on medical parole in 2009, is a free man and is now campaigning for the uMkhonto weSizwe party.

He is no longer a prisoner, the department of correctional services said yesterday, after the sighting of Shaik at a party event.

Shaik only served two years of his 15-year sentence in jail before he was released on 3 March 2009 because he was alleged to be very sick.

“We confirm that Mr Shaik was released from the correctional services system when his sentence expired on 9 January 2020. This means he is a fully liberated person, not under the monitoring of correctional services,” spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said.

At a press conference called by the party to declare its solidarity with Palestine, Shaik watched as longtime friend former president Jacob

Zuma addressed a crowd.

Asked if Shaik was a member of the party, MK spokesperson Sidwell Masilela said: “That is correct. He even brought MK banners to the event and is tasked to recruit more members of the Indian community.”

Attempts to get comment from Shaik were unsuccessful.

Shaik was Zuma’s one-time financial adviser. The two got into hot water over a botched multibillion-rand arms deal with French company Thint.

It was alleged in court papers that Shaik facilitated a bribe from Thint for Zuma for SA to procure weapons from the French company. Shaik was sentenced by Durban High Court Judge Hilary Squires to a 15-year sentence in 2005 for alleged corrupt payments totalling R1.2 million he made to Zuma. The sentence was for each of two corruption charges and three years for fraud. The sentences were to run concurrently.

Shaik spent two years and four months at Durban Westville prison before he was released under strict conditions, including house arrest.

The conditions were relaxed in 2017.

The arms deal trial against Zuma started in May 2021 but was delayed following his failed application to have advocate Billy Downer removed as a prosecutor of the trial.

When his application was dismissed, Zuma caused further delays by launching a private prosecution of Downer and journalist Karyn Maughan in September 2022 on allegations that Downer leaked his private medical records to the journalist.

The trial is expected to resume in 2025.

He is tasked to recruit more Indians