Shabir Shaik will meet the parole board soon to discuss an allegation that he assaulted a reporter watching him playing golf, a prisons spokesperson confirmed on Monday.
“It is part of normal policy to go and report to the parole board what happened, following us receiving a complaint that he allegedly assaulted someone,” said Sonwabo Mbananga.
Shaik faces a charge of hitting reporter Amanda Khoza when he spotted her at the Papwa Sewgowlum golf course in Durban recently.
Shaik, President Jacob Zuma’s former financial adviser, continues to draw attention after he was controversially released on medical parole for a terminal illness about two years ago.
This was instead of serving his 15-year sentence for fraud and corruption inside a prison cell.
Mbananga said the parole board meeting should be seen as a briefing session because until the matter was finalised in court, it remained an allegation.
“We will wait for the [court] conclusion itself,” he explained.
He said that Shaik had not been in violation of his parole conditions by playing golf as he had six hours’ free time on Saturday and again on Sunday for such activities.
The Sunday Independent reported that Shaik denied the assault and claimed Khoza was rude and did not produce her business card.
Khoza and freelance photographer Charmel Bowman had been sent to the golf course by the Sunday Tribune to check whether Shaik was violating his parole conditions.
The private meeting is expected to take place within the next two weeks. — Sapa