I am curious why you keep indulging Terry Crawford-Browne on your letters page. His letters are a constant regurgitation of the same allegations supported by seen-before pseudo proof, perhaps tacked onto a new fact. Crawford-Browne's letter on Tuesday does not even do that. Asking whether government believes in the tooth fairy is irrelevant. So is the "news" that 35 economists sitting around a table agreed (defence) offsets were "bad". There are tens of thousands of economists on this planet and one doesn't have to be one to realise the chances of 35 agreeing about something, even if wrong, are not all that remote.

Crawford-Browne was wrong about the cost of the arms deal. His claims that arms deals are inherently corrupt and venal also don't bear scrutiny. Sure there were bad guys. There are also bad economists. Comparing the Strategic Defence Package with the Lesotho Highlands Water Scheme frankly shows more rot in the dams than in defence.

As for his campaign to close Denel's factories on the Cape Flats because they are unsafe, Nosa, the occupational health and safety body seems to disagree. How else would they get the top safety award? Crawford-Browne will no doubt allege corruption.

With acknowledgements to Leon Engelbrecht and the Business Day.