Medical records seen by the Mail & Guardian indicate that Schabir Shaik never met the formal requirements for medical parole, but a combination of pressure from his private physicians and an erroneous claim from a correctional services doctor that his condition was "terminal" tipped the balance in his favour.
Key to his successful application was an astonishing report compiled by Dr Ngenisile Mbanjwa, a former nurse who had reportedly graduated as a doctor at Medunsa only in 2005. In her letter Mbanjwa summarised her understanding of Shaik's medical condition for the parole board.
In fractured English she wrote: "Based on all the medical reports from my colleagues/Independent Medical Practitioners concerning the inmate-patient's medical condition, all the investigations and medications the inmate-patient is on, the prognostic features and concurrently with end (final) stage multiple organ failure (terminal illness) due to uncontrolled or refactory hypertension despite multiple medications including psychiatric medications."
As far as can be established from documents seen by the M&G, Mbanjwa never examined Shaik herself. She based her assessment on medical reports, mainly from Shaik's private doctors, which, while sympathetic to Shaik, nowhere claimed that Shaik was suffering multiple organ failure or had entered the final stages of a terminal illness.
A May 2008 letter from Shaik's private psychiatrist, Dr Abubaker Gangat, warned only that his persistent high blood pressure had "potentially dire consequences for the eyes, kidneys, heart and brain" and that "organ damage to the eyes and kidneys is already present".
Gangat noted: "In summary, Mr Shaik has Severe Emotional Disorder combined with life-threatening physical disorders, as enumerated."
And a June 2008 letter from Shaik's private physician, Dr Salim Gaffoor, stated that Shaik had "severe resistant hypertension with end organ damage". He noted that despite multiple drug therapy his blood pressure "remains constantly high and his complications are progressive. In my view I feel that we will not achieve blood pressure control while he is incarcerated.
"In view of his deteriorating health I feel that Mr Shaik should be given correctional supervision as this may give us a chance to improve his blood pressure and prevent fatal complications."
Both letters were part of a bundle received by correctional services on January 2 2009 and were apparently annexed to Mbanjwa's report.
A medical consultant approached by the M&G, who asked not to be identified, said that while Shaik was clearly not well, from the information available he was not terminally ill.
The consultant said there did not appear to be any evidence of renal damage and Shaik's cardiac abnormalities were not severe.
