'It's difficult to visit Shaik'

2007-11-16 14:32

Durban - Schabir Shaik's wife is allowed to visit her husband once a week in hospital while other family members need to go through "red-tape" at Correctional Services to be allowed to visit Shaik, the family said on Friday.

Yunus Shaik was speaking to Sapa after his brother had a mild stroke and was admitted to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban.

"My brother has been continuously sick in prison and is on continuous medication," he said.

Yunus explained that the stroke was as a result of his high blood pressure.

"He has uncontrolled hypertension which gives rise to huge problems associated with blood pressure and it's difficult to keep the blood pressure within normal limits, even with medication.

"As a result of this, he is under constant medical care," he said.

Yunus was unable to say whether stress and depression had also had an affect on his medical condition.

'Best for his health'

Yunus has just arrived back from India and said he had not yet been to Durban to visit his brother.

"The problem is, it's very difficult for the family to visit him because we have to go through the Correctional Services, write letters and then get supervised visits once in a while.

"His wife visits him once a week... and I don't want to take the visits away from her," he said.

The Correctional Service's Manelisi Wolela said Shaik had some medical complications in prison and doctors advised that he should be taken to hospital for further medical treatment.

"He was sent to hospital on November 10 after doctors advised it would be best for his health," he said.

The department declined to comment on Shaik's condition or when he might be released from hospital.

Shaik has been sentenced to 15 years in prison 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 had a minor stroke.

Hypertension and depression

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 being diagnosed from hypertension and depression.

- SAPA