Anyone who might have been expecting the competition commission's guns to come out blazing in the general direction of the big banks will be a little disappointed by the latest announcement about its investigation into bank charges and the national payment system.
It is evident that this is going to be a long and considered process. It may even be a year before we hear anything resembling a conclusion from the panel that was appointed last week.
Given this tip-toeing, it does seem that suggestions that an inquiry into bank charges and the national payment system might be seen as a threat to the soundness of our banking system are a little far-fetched.
In any case, our four major banks are far too stable and entrenched to be threatened by almost anything. Indeed, if international experience is anything to go by, an inquiry into the banks is almost a symbol of sophistication and soundness of a country's banking system.
Not to have an inquiry into bank charges and the national payment system merely because it might threaten the soundness of the system would surely be proof of how fragile and unsound our system is.
Australia, the UK, Ireland and the EU are just some of the jurisdictions that have undertaken inquiries into their banking systems.
The investigations in the UK appear to be ongoing. The banking review, headed by Don Cruickshank, was set up in November 1998, reported in March 2000 and was followed by a British competition commission investigation, which generated a 10-volume report in 2002.
In March 2004 a task force was established to undertake a four-year investigation into Britain's payment system.
In Ireland the competition authorities, whose investigation was conducted shortly after divorce was legalised in the country, apparently found that it was deemed to be easier and quicker to get a divorce than for frustrated consumers to change their banks.
Alan Knott-Craig suffered a heart attack last week, raising questions about his likely successor as the group chief executive of the country's biggest cellular operator.
Vodacom said on Friday that chief operating officer Pieter Uys had been appointed acting chief executive.
Knott-Craig, 55, has been at the helm of Vodacom since its inception more than 12 years ago and has built it into a multi-billion rand company. UK cellular giant Vodafone and local fixed-line utility Telkom each own 50 percent.
Given Knott-Craig's health, a succession plan must be uppermost in the minds of Vodacom directors, as well as those of Vodafone chief executive Arun Sarin and his counterpart at Telkom, Papi Molotsane.
Some analysts said it would be difficult to find someone to fill Knott-Craig's shoes, whom they described as "the face of Vodacom", "a visionary" and "a remarkable man".
Khulekani Dlamini, a director of Renaissance Asset Management, said Vodacom had "a depth of leadership and quality managers". He said Vodacom might look within for Knott-Craig's successor.
The list of internal candidates is likely to include Uys, Shameel Joosub (the managing director of Vodacom South Africa), and Leon Crouse (the group finance director).
However, the search for a successor might not be limited to internal candidates. Vodacom directors could look outside the company, especially because the group plans to enlarge its footprint outside South Africa.
If Vodafone and Telkom were to decide that Vodacom should close the gap in footprint between it and rival MTN, they are likely to seek a manager with experience in doing business in emerging markets.