Living in a fantasy much?

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Published on Tuesday, 14 February 2012 14:02

Written by Carla de Klerk

A few weeks ago, we all listened to convicted murderer Donovan Moodley’s new plea for a retrial on account of him being bullied by three drug dealers to take the blame for student Leigh Mathews’ death. Moodley brought his new “evidence” to light after first admitting to the crime, and then brooding in prison for the past seven years. 

 To me, this news sent images of “the big bad wolf” targeting poor Red Riding Hood’s grandmother to my imagination. Apparently the rest of the country felt the same, as the plea for retrial was labelled as “flights of fancy’” Even Judge Joop Labuschagne described that the new plea was full of “inconsistencies”.

 I can’t say I disagree with him: the chances of three drug dealers “forcing” you to take blame for a murder, to plead guilty for that murder then to come out with the “truth” seven years after being jailed are pretty slim. 

However, this case does shed a different light on quite a few other cases that, in my opinion, also carry a few “inconsistencies”.

Firstly, Shabir Shaik: one of the most notorious men to be in the news for the last few years. 

In 2005, Shaik was found guilty of corruption and fraud after the infamous arms deal. He was sentenced to prison for 15 years. Interestingly, soon after arriving at prison he contracted a severe medical condition and was released on medical parole after only serving slightly over two years.

 Since then, Shaik has regularly been seen out dining and golfing; at least this indicates that fresh air is indeed a cure for terminal illnesses.

 So what, really, is the difference between Shabir Shaik and Donovan Moodley? 

Both are criminals convicted of serious crimes. Both served a fraction of their time behind bars after realising prison is no luxury game ranch, and then decided it was time to leave. 

Shabir Shaik is currently resting and gaining spirit at the ranch, and Moodley? Well, I guess he shouldn’t have used the good old excuse of “the devil made me do it” (in modern times the “devil” is of course the evil drug dealer down in Mowbray). 

I can’t follow this argument through without also mentioning ex-police commissioner and former Interpol president Jackie Selebi. Selebi was still at the helm of South Africa’s police force when he was disgraced as he was charged with corruption.  

Is it not odd that the honourable ex-commissioner was also recently seen hanging out more and more around the sick bay? 

He, however, has not been granted parole (yet). Personally, I think the prisons must most definitely be in perfectly disgraceful conditions, if all these rich, powerful men fall so dreadfully ill there.

If policemen are criminals, businessmen are schemers without  a backbone and even politicians are oftentimes in the news for corruption, who, then, should you believe? If one is rich and famous it is normal to suddenly catch a deadly illness and rather go golfing on Sundays instead of sweeping the prison yard.

Maybe Moodley’s story isn’t as far-fetched as everyone thought...