A group of journalists and photographers spent the day outside the Durban-Westville prison yesterday, awaiting Schabir Shaik’s surrender to begin serving his 15-year sentence for corruption and fraud.

However, it appears that he will report to Durban Central police station at 9 am today, and from there be taken to prison.

Shaik, his family and his legal team have maintained public silence for the past 24 hours, while studying Monday’s Supreme Court of Appeal findings for a possible alternative to jail time.

By late yesterday afternoon the state legal team in Shaik’s trial had not heard of any more applications, nor had the Constitutional Court.

There’s still a slim chance that his legal team could decide to approach the Constitutional Court, on one or more aspects of his fate.

Senior court registrar Martie Stander said when an appeal has been denied, the appellant has 10 days to raise a constitutional question.

With acknowledgements to The Witness.