Corruption getting you down? Take heart from reasons for doing and being.

Malaysia and, in particular, the bumiputera system has clearly influenced ANC policy. But can we avoid the negative aspects of that model? Former Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, author of The Asian Renaissance, could testify to the negative aspects. He’s been jailed for 15 years on trumped up charges.

The Soweto Heritage Trust hasn’t yet plucked up the courage to evict Winnie Madikizela-Mandela from the Soweto matchbox house she once shared with Nelson. The house was donated to the Trust by the former President, but Winnie had other plans. She has simply ignored the Trust’s claims and set it up as a money-spinner museum for herself.

Exorbitant interest is being charged on education loans for the poor. Two years ago broker Ronel van der Merwe devised a unique scheme aimed at helping poor students secure loans at reasonable rates. But her Umsizi (“the helper”) scheme ended in a no-holds-barred court battle with Unibank’s microloans division.

A jetski speedster’s feud with a Vaal River club went all the way to the high court in Jo’burg. Thanks to the court battle it emerged that you don’t need a licence or permit to go boating or fishing on the Vaal. Authorities have been unlawfully collecting fees from the public for decades.

Air Force officers are irate over the conferring of wings on two previously-disadvantaged candidates who did not undergo the same rigorous training course passed by 23 new pilots. “It’s a bloody disgrace,” said one officer.

In Part Two of our series “Thabo’s Boys vs Vula’s Boys”, we reveal that Thabo’s Boys are seasoned corporate players with interests in defence, IT, telecommunications, oil and gambling. Some of them have blotted their copybooks of late.

We take issue with President Mbeki’s ominous claim that critics of the arms report are racist. We show how the report’s findings misrepresent the facts.

Power, it seems, is bringing out the worst in the petty tyrants who run South Africa’s only independent free-access channel: massive bonuses for the top dogs, tales of sexual harassment, the bullying of news staff who use their critical faculties, and intrusion of egos and commercial interests into the news.