Prosecutor Billy Downer completed his cross-examination of fraud and corruption accused Schabir Shaik in the Durban High Court shortly before lunch on Wednesday.
”I am indebted to the court for its indulgence, my lord … I appreciate your patience,” said Downer.
Shaik, who has been charged with one count of fraud and two of corruption, has been under cross-examination since Monday last week.
On Wednesday, an irritated Judge Hillary Squires asked Downer: ”Is the finishing post in sight?”
Downer used Wednesday morning to wrap up what he called ”loose ends”.
When he got to the topic of talking to John Lennon, who wanted to open a tourism school in KwaZulu-Natal, Shaik said he was angry that foreign white companies were using black companies to get contracts in South Africa.
He said he needs to put it on record, ”and if I need to go to jail for that I will”.
Squires told him to answer the question and Shaik replied that he was doing just that.
He said what Lennon was doing was disempowerment and ”I don’t mind going back to the struggle to fight it”.
The state alleges that Shaik used his ties with Deputy President Jacob Zuma to become the black economic empowerment partner in the tourism school project.
Re-examination by Shaik’s advocate, Francois van Zyl, was expected to take place after lunch. — Sapa