Letters

I heard a sermon by Ds Adriaan Haasbroek on Sunday, where he read from the Book of Zachariah in the Old Testament, saying how would one be remembered after leaving your employment or leaving for the life hereafter.

In looking back to the time before my retirement, I had sought employment at the Peninsula Technikon and was accepted as a lecturer.

It was here in approximately 1984 that this young man Schabir Shaik arrived and was also accepted as a lecturer.

On leaving school, Schabir's family decided that he should further his education in Hawaii, at the local university there, where he received a degree in the sciences. When he returned to South Africa, he sought employment and joined Pentech as a lecturer.

In time he busied himself with a project, "Level Regulation of Water Flow Under Various Temperatures".

He had to order parts from as far afield as the US, and on completion the project worked flawlessly - so much so that it attracted the attention of the university's local head professor who in turn alerted Dr Franklin Sonn, the then rector. They were amazed at how well the project worked.

This in turn attracted interest from surrounding universities and received similar acclaim. Letters of congratulations arrived in the post addressed to "Dr" Schabir S, and later "Professor" Schabir S.

At the onset, it was noted that he was an immaculately dressed, well-mannered young man with exceptional determination and drive in his efforts to obtain the best results for his students. Is this not a remarkable man or genius? I must also add that he displayed immense charisma and he was chosen to visit schools after hours to advertise the technikon to post-matric learning facilities.

I would like to mention at this point that I do not give my blessing where corruption is involved, but isn't this sentence somewhat severe? This man is not a murderer.

In the Old Testament scriptures, a goat was selected to carry the sins of the nation and was driven into the desert to die. Today we refer to it as the "scapegoat". Is Schabir Shaik this scapegoat?

As a friend and colleague, I have fond memories of times we spent together at the technikon and I wish him all the best.

With acknowledgement to Charles Hawkins and Cape Argus.