Publication: Business Day Issued: Date: 2006-11-29 Reporter: Rob Glanville Reporter:

Ask Dr Phil

 

Publication 

Business Day
Date 2006-11-29

Reporter

 Rob Glanville

Web Link

www.businessday.co.za

 

Letters

Dr Phil, the much-aired US television talk show host and pop psych guru, is a master of ego deflation. His favoured weapon, timed to perfection, to pop the ego of his victims, is the one-liner “So, how is that working for you?” The same question might be asked of Schabir Shaik.

Now under the venerable protection of St Augustine’s Hospital in Durban, Shaik’s daily prayers must be filled with contrition, remorse and self-loathing now that he’s been confirmed a “fraudster and a jailbird”. The saints must be agonising about what to do with the naughty fellow.

For the reportedly stressed-out Shaik, here's one solution. Shaik might want to ask himself a Dr Phil question: just how much do you value your freedom? R1m? R10m? R20m? R50m? R100m? If the state were to accept a plea bargain ­and why not, with nary a government ministry not swarming with clones of Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves ­ R100m would go down very nicely thank you!

Shaik would have his freedom, at a price, yes, but that’s what Dr Phil is all about ­ making it work for you.

Rob Glanville
Kloof

With acknowledgements to Rob Glanville and Business Day.


Not sure whether I get the Dr Phil logic on this one, but the plea bargain possibility is probably too late.

Shaik should have made a plea deal by pleading guilty and getting a short custodial sentence in return for his evidence concerning the biggest Ali Baba of them all, Thomson-CSF.

But that would had netted his benefactor, Jacob Zuma at the same time.

So Jacob Zuma and Shaik should jointly have made a plea deal by pleading guilty and getting a short custodial sentence in return for his evidence concerning the biggest Ali Baba of them all, Thomson-CSF.

It's not too late for Zuma.

But he wants to be president and one can't be so after having been convicted of a crime where a custodial sentence is served.

So he should become a singer and performer instead.