The family of convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik has been lobbying Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour to negotiate a deal regarding Shaik's imprisonment.

A high-level source in the department who asked not to be identified told the Cape Argus that the Shaik family had repeatedly asked to meet Balfour, who had been unavailable. Instead, the minister had referred them to the regional office in KwaZulu-Natal.

"Balfour feels that it would set a wrong precedent for him to meet the family of a convict because it means that anybody could just arrange a meeting with him. He wants them to follow the proper channels," the senior official said.

The source said the Shaiks were hoping to negotiate a reduction to Schabir Shaik's jail term.

Shaik will spend at least five years of his 15-year sentence in prison before being eligible for parole.

He was recently moved to Durban's Westville Prison after more than two months in the private St Augustine's hospital.

Shaik's brother, Mo Shaik, would only say: "We no longer feel that this issue is in the public interest … we just want the media to leave us alone."

Correctional Services spokesman Luphumzo Kebeni said he had no knowledge of the Shaik family's request to meet Balfour.

He reiterated that their decision to send Shaik back to prison had been in the best interests of the department.

"We sent our medical doctor and we received a report, studied it and took a decision based on that report. That report is confidential and we cannot divulge the health condition of any offender," he said.

With acknowledgements to the Staff Reporter and Cape Argus.