Schabir Shaik's last appeal against his 15-year sentence failed this week, and prison sources said the former high-flying businessman did not look well. One of them said he "really did look sick".

Another prison insider said a warder visited Shaik regularly.

Shaik is still in the hospital section of Westville Prison, where he has served most of his sentence aside from a period in St Augustine's Hospital, Qalakabusha Prison in Empangeni and a brief stay at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital in Durban.

Despite Shaik's long stay in hospital, the judicial inspectorate of prisons is confident that he has not received preferential treatment. While at Qalakabusha Prison, Shaik was found to be suffering from hypertension and other blood-pressure-related conditions.

The director of the Judicial Inspectorate of Prisons, Gideon Morris, said complaints about preferential treatment were found to be untrue. - Staff Reporter

With acknowledgements to The Star.