Beg your pardon Mr Shaik?

It seems one of Mzansi's friendly neighbourhood fraudsters and ANC friend is gearing up for yet another devious manipulation of the justice system. Shabir Shaik is not content with getting away with "murder" when he was granted dubious medical parole after serving only two years of a fifteen year corruption related jail sentence. Seeing as this type of parole is normally reserved for those on their death bed, succumbing to the final demands for their life by a terminal affliction, Shabir seems not content with the way that he is spending what we assume are his last days. He has been sighted living the high life in Durban's elite restaurants and golf courses.

Freedom and the good life are not enough it seems. The man still wants an official pardon from President Zuma his long time friend. The two men were found in 2005 to have had "a generally corrupt relationship," by Judge Hilary Squires after tales of massive bribery and corruption unfolded during Shaik's hearing.

Why would Shaik want to go ahead and persue the pardon when he is a free man? Maybe he wants to die having erased his criminal conviction from the History books? That is as unlikely as it is unlikely that he suffers from a terminal illness. Could it be that his business dealings and possible political aspirations are suffering due to his criminal record? That is a possibility. Could he be hurt that his friend and beneficary of his generous "donations" and "loans," did not at the end of the day face the music and he feels that if the slate remains clean for Zuma, so must it be wiped for him? Another possibility.


We shall learn soon enough what the motive of this continued legal game is but it surely has put the Guv in a difficult position. To pardon or not to pardon? Refusing to pardon the man would confirm that Shabir is not innocent or repentant and by implication, Zuma would be admitting his own guilt. Granting a pardon would on the other hand suggest his being still under the puppeteering hand of Mr Shaik. After the hullabaloo caused by the medical parole, he surely does not want a repeat of that reaction. What advice do you have for this machine gun demanding president?