It seems everything is under control according to Thabo Mbeki in an SABC interview last night. Here are some extracts (full story available from M&G here):

On economic growth.
He said the rate of economic growth had been underestimated.

"For example, electricity supply did not keep up with the demand. We thought we had spare capacity, but now we have a shortage and we must address that."

Mbeki said the government would have to invest more money in roads, ports, railways and electricity supply to keep up with economic growth.

"It is a problem, but it is a good problem," he said.

On personal wealth.
He also mentioned the culture of personal wealth accumulation among South Africans as something that had to be fought.

Due to the "evolution" of South Africa into a democratic society, a value system based on material things being a measure of a person's success had become entrenched, Mbeki said.

"This is not a new thing ... this has been around for a long time."

Mbeki said people must rediscover the principle of ubuntu.

"We must rediscover what this value system means. You can't say you practice ubuntu, but then you steal your grandmother's pension money."

On crime.
On the pressing issue of crime, and the damage it was causing to the South Africa's image internationally, Mbeki admitted it was something of a concern, but said it was wrong to suggest crime in the country was uncontrollable.

"There is crime but this does not mean it is out of control," he said.

He blamed certain South Africans for not being "careful" on how they communicated the issue of crime, saying it was the way they communicated that created the perception crime was out of control in the country.

On corruption.
Asked about recent international media reports implicating a number of South Africans, including former defence minister Joe Modise, in a British probe on corruption between British arms companies and foreign government officials, Mbeki said the British government had not yet spoken to him about the matter.

"I have heard about this but as far as I know the British government haven't raised this with us," Mbeki said.

He maintained that South Africa's arms deal bidding process was "perfectly correct" and not affected by any corruption