Hon Speaker, I don't know why we should deal with this pardon before it comes to the President. Why should we? What we said is that any pardon that comes before me, depending on the circumstances and information of any prisoner, comes with supporting information that the particular person must be released.
If the person qualifies to be released in terms of the information given, why is that person not released? Is it because he is so-and-so? That was a question I was answering at the time when this was posed to me, that you can't deprive a person of a pardon if there is sufficient evidence just because that person is so-and-so. I said: If there was sufficient evidence, why shouldn't the person be released? I am referring to anyone, not specifically to Schabir Shaik.
We should not prejudge issues. It is unfair even to the individuals, because we begin to influence anyone who is going to be looking at this issue by debating the issue of a person before it comes up for discussion. Let the matter come before the President and the President will exercise his powers according to the Constitution, not according to who the person is or in front of whom he is appearing. [Applause.]