The family of convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik is not paying particular attention to the Jacob Zuma hearing at the Supreme Court of Appeals in Bloemfontein, his brother Yunus Shaik said on Friday.

He was responding to questions by Sapa as the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein swarmed with security officials ahead of an appeal against a high court ruling favouring Zuma, who is president of the ANC.

"We did not even know it was today (Friday). And it doesn't matter because we all have our own lives.

"Everyone has a job and that's what they have to do," said Shaik.

The KwaZulu-Natal Health department on Friday also confirmed that the 51-year-old Schabir Shaik, the former financial adviser to Zuma, was still in hospital.

Said his brother: "Everyone, like prison authorities, the doctors, and the hospital staff accept that Schabir is ill and gravely so. The public can accept it or not because these are matters decided by doctors."

He said the family had been through a lot this year, and with his brother constantly in the media, "it's been hard on the family".

"I get to see him from time to time... and unlike a prison, the hospital visits are not as restricted."

On 2 June 2005, Shaik was found guilty on two counts of corruption and one count of fraud. One of the charges related to alleged attempts to solicit a bribe from Zuma.

Shaik was given an effective 15-year prison term.

As a consequence of the ruling, Zuma was dismissed from his post as the country's deputy president by former president Thabo Mbeki.

The Friday case in the Supreme Court of Appeal will be heard by five judges and involves former president Mbeki, Zuma and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

The NPA is seeking to have a Pietermaritzburg High Court ruling on 12 September by Judge Chris Nicholson overturned on appeal.

Nicholson ruled that the NPA's decision to charge Zuma was unlawful because he had not been allowed make representations to the National Director of Public Prosecutions before he was charged.

Zuma was facing a charge of racketeering, four charges of corruption, a charge of money laundering and 12 charges of fraud.

Mbeki will also get 45 minutes to argue why he should be allowed to intervene in the battle between the NPA and Zuma or be admitted to the legal fray as a friend of the court.

Mbeki wants to be allowed to challenge Nicholson's inferences of political meddling against him, which he claims led the ANC to recall him from his position as president of the country.

Sapa