Fraud convict Schabir Shaik is back in prison after spending 10 days in Durban’s Albert Luthuli Hospital after suffering a mild stroke, the Department of Correctional Services said on Saturday.
Spokesperson Manelisi Wolela said Shaik moved back to Westville Prison on Tuesday. He was sent to hospital on November 10 after doctors advised it would be best for his health.
The Saturday Star reported Shaik’s younger brother Yunus as saying that he was moved back after doctors stabilised his blood pressure. He said although the full extent of the damage that might have been caused to his organs by the stroke was not yet known, doctors felt he no longer needed hospitalisation.
Yunus reportedly said his brother would continue receiving treatment in prison and would be exercising to help him recover fully from the stroke.
Earlier this month, the Shaik family complained that his wife was allowed to visit her husband once a week in hospital, while other family members needed to go through ”red tape” at the Department of Correctional Services to be allowed to visit him.
Shaik was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for fraud relating to his relationship with former deputy president Jacob Zuma.
He was transferred to Qalakabusha prison and on November 24 last year he was admitted to St Augustine’s hospital. At that time his family said he had suffered a minor stroke.
He has been treated for high blood pressure since being admitted to hospital on November 24 last year, running up a bill of what some analysts believed could be more than R500 000.
Shaik was removed from St Augustine’s hospital in Durban and sent to Westville Prison following an order from Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour.
In April this year, Shaik was admitted to the cardiac unit in Albert Luthuli Hospital after suffering from hypertension and depression.
Shaik has in the meantime — through his lawyer Reeves Parsee — appealed to the government to release R2,5-million of his money being held under curatorship, to enable him to go to the Constitutional Court to appeal against the state’s attempt to confiscate R33-million he allegedly earned through his relationship with Zuma.
Shaik argues that unless the state released some of the money, his final court battle would be severely prejudiced.
The hearing has been set down for November 28. — Sapa