Shaik may not be dead, but he can still haunt Zuma

On Wednesday last week, exactly 12 years ago, Schabir Shaik was granted leave to appeal his 15-year jail sentence after being found guilty on two counts of corruption and one of fraud.

The story is old news but still very relevant. President Jacob Zuma's financial adviser ended up going to jail; and Zuma lost his job as deputy president of the country, even though a court of law did not find Zuma guilty of corruption or fraud.

For a short while, it almost felt like the wheels of justice had turned.

But, of course, Shaik only spent a measly two years and four months in prison before being released on medical parole.

How quickly the tide changed.

Zuma made the political comeback of his life and was elected ANC president in 2007; and in early 2009 his then former financial adviser became "terminally ill".

So ill, he had to be released on parole.

Late last week, thanks to a question posed by the DA in parliament, it was revealed that Shaik is, eight years later, still terminally ill, yet miraculously also still alive.

This terminally ill man is allowed to work Mondays to Fridays, attend school functions for his son and sports once a week.

Sounds really sick.

Lest we forget, the Shaik family was once upon a time known as the wealthy family with links to Zuma.

Our president has since graduated to the Gupta family. Although we are now obsessed with Gupta e-mail leaks that reveal staggering levels of state capture, soon Zuma's relationship with Shaik will be in the spotlight again. The Supreme Court of Appeal will hear in September why Shaik-related corruption charges against Zuma should not be reinstated.

We haven't forgotten about the Shaiks, Mr President.

And we won't let you forget either.