David Gleason appears to be fixated on his conspiracy theory about Schabir Shaik's trial. He warns us to "watch this process carefully, for if it is hijacked, it will be the single biggest threat to the country's young democracy".

If what is hijacked? The trial? Is he saying if the verdict does not go his "conspiracy theory way", the trial must have been hijacked? If so, what could ordinary South Africans "watching carefully" have done?

Is he saying if Deputy President Jacob Zuma were not to become the next president of the country as a result of this trial, then any other African National Congress (ANC) candidate who emerges through the process would not be a democratically elected president should the ANC win the next elections?

With acknowledgements to George Uriesi and the Business Day.