Schabir Shaik denies he was driving in Durban

Fraud convict Schabir Shaik, the former financial adviser to President Jacob Zuma, has denied reports that he was driving around in Durban on Monday, while he was supposed to be on parole for a terminal illness.

“It is a family car that could have been used by anyone,” Department of Correctional Services spokesperson Thami Zondi told Beeld newspaper.

Zondi said correctional services officials visited Shaik on Tuesday following a report by the Democratic Alliance’s Dean Macpherson that he had seen Shaik driving with his son and buying balloons from a street hawker.

But Shaik told the officials that it was not him. He said he did not leave his property on Monday, said Zondi.

Macpherson recorded a video of the BMW on his cellphone but did not get footage of the driver.

According to Zondi, people on parole may only leave their homes on Saturdays between noon and 4pm.

Correctional services officials visit paroled prisoners on week days to make sure that they are sticking to their parole conditions, he added.

Shaik had been visited by officials on Monday and they were confident that Shaik did not break his parole conditions, said Zondi.

Shaik was released on medical parole on March 3 after serving two years and four months of a 15 year prison term for fraud and corruption.

If Shaik was as gravely ill as had been contended when he was released, he would not be driving around alone, McPherson said, arguing that there was no way his health could have improved so quickly. - Sapa