Make no mistake, the arrest of KwaZulu-Natal businessman Thoshan Panday is a big deal. An ally of former president Jacob Zuma, Panday was virtually untouchable. Which is why, perhaps, it has taken so long for the case to progress to court, even though the allegations relate to the 2010 World Cup.

A report in the Mail & Guardian in 2015 showed how moves to investigate Panday had led to the departure of Hawks boss Anwar Dramat and National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Mxolisi Nxasana, and the suspensions of Independent Police Investigative Directorate head Robert McBride and KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Johan Booysen...