Zukiswa Wanner

I am always hopeful for a better future where all are equal above, beneath, and beside the law. But I have never harbored any fantasies that I am living through that time and this morning was just yet another proof that I live in Orwellian times where some are more equal than others. Two days after the death of the Scorpions comes an announcement that South Africa’s future president’s former financial advisor Schabir Shaik is now free.
For the record, Schabir had been given 15 years for corruption but has served less than a third of his sentence and most of that, in a private room (at taxpayer’s expense) in hospital because he was suffering from stress-related high blood pressure. His high blood pressure is incidentally, the reason why he is getting out of prison.

Now I have some serious gripes with the whole Schabir thing. I already had issues with his private hospital stay and now comes the news that he is free. Why do I care? Because I am a taxpayer who can’t afford medical that’s why. Last time I was ill, I managed to get a semi-private room because I showed the booking nurses copies of my book and they thought I was a celebrity. And I am one of the lucky ones. I have been to Baragwanath and good, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens who cannot afford medical aid may be found lying on the floor underneath other people’s beds when they get ill because the state does not have sufficient resources and here our state had a convict in a private room?
The private hospital room alone of course is a good argument for his release as that means tax Rands are saved in these days of recession (oops. forgot that Uncel Trevor said there’s no recession).

But the reason for hospitalization itself is shady. One of my friends argued regarding the HBP, ‘Bah. If our convicts are not suffering from HBP, anxiety, and other stress-related ailments then we are fucking up as a country. Our taxes are going to waste.’ The argument this friend is making of course is that prisons, by their very nature, are not supposed to be government-sponsored holidays and if one suffers from stress then that would be a very good argument to keep children from prison. ‘Look little Mfundo, look at Schabir, he is suffering from stress and still has 10 years to go. Do you want to do crime, go to prison and suffer through that?’ Not only that. Our prisons are full of prisoners in their last stages of HIV related illnesses. If we are to argue for compassionate release of prisoners, surely we should look at the more serious illnesses first?

That said, I have to admit to being surprised that Schabir even served any time in prison at all. To his credit he served his almost full three years conviction for fraud and, given the number of white collar criminals that generally get away with paying a fine and not seeing a day in prison, that in itself was remarkable. All credit given though for the time he served in Durban Westville, the question must be asked, is Schabir Shaik’s freedom a sign of how white collar criminals who have struggle credentials will be treated under the next administration? We cannot ignore the fact that the political administration that decided to get Mr. Shaik out of prison (or hospital) are aligned with the current leadership at Luthuli House. A field day for corruption, or just popping out a comrade so they can have enough time to prep themselves to be Minister of Finance?
It would be funny if it were not so sad.
(For the record to those who may want to report me for public drinking  and throw me in prison sometime in my lifetime, I too have struggle credentials. I struggled to write that last paragraph giving Mr. Shaik credit)