Cape Town culture is running a bad second to the Olympics as a subject of discussion, and as recipient of funds.

At least one senior official at LTA Autecon’s Johannesburg head office regards criminal activity as a normal part of big business.

The South African Reserve Bank is determined to keep its documents secret. Newspapers are threatened with jail if they dare publish anything that’s in a Reserve Bank document. Even the courts are denied access to them. Which raises the question: What’s up Dr Stals? Is it the National Security that’s at stake – or your ass?

Only rarely is a deal exposed which so clearly demonstrates the attitude of a bank’s top management to dishonesty and sharp dealing, as the deal between FNB and KPL-ETSA.

Are we really supposed to be reassured by the announcement that four – instead of three, or five – in Pretoria’s arsenal of nameless “ous”, had their fingers on the trigger of total destruction? And why should we believe reassurances that this is no longer the case?