The Company of Convivial Conversationalists at the local Grill and Garden were enjoying an interlude of content mid-evening silence as the Governor was seeing to it that no glass remained unfilled. This, as usual, had the result that Luke the Dude’s mind wandered off to lands explored only by him.
“It feels like The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” announced he.
“Oi, Boyo, care the fill us in?” Colin the Golfer cut to the point.
“It used to be fun,” meandered Luke the Dude, “In my London years I lived near a cinema where Rocky Horror was the feature every Friday evening. Fans arrived in Rocky dress and make-up with umbrellas and water pistols – which they used whenever it rained in the movie …”
“What do you mean, ‘used to be’?” enquired Big Ben.
“A line from Time Warp, that song from the movie, says it,” enlightened Luke: “Madness takes its toll.”
“Which lunacy do you have in mind, Lucas?” wondered The Prof, frowning at his unlit pipe. “The Middle East, where death and suffering accompanied the US withdrawal, while the raving right of the Republican Party are emptying their malice buckets over President Biden – for carrying out an agreement to which the Republican Donald Trump bound America?
“China, where the Communist dictatorship is slapping down the billionaires who made China an economic superpower by creating mega-businesses like Ali Baba and Tencent – and capturing their companies without a care about the destruction? Cadres rule, OK? Hegemony over all the levers of power, including the commanding heights of the economy?”
“As you say, Prof,” agreed Luke, “but I am more concerned about our home-grown appetite for the levers of power, seeing that state capture is, after all, the stated goal of the ANC.”
“I do not agree!” As is his habit, Big Ben revolted. “President Ramaphosa is the leader of the ANC and he is fighting state capture. Just imagine what South Africa would look like without him!”
“Useless!” exclaimed Jon the Joker. “Your point misses the point. In name, Cyril Ramaphosa is president of the ANC; in reality he leads only an ANC faction. And all its factions share the master goal of ANC control over every lever of power in South Africa.
“Have you seen Ramaphosa – who, by the way, enjoys slow-cooking French food, particularly frogs’ legs – testifying before the Zondo Commission? The only time he got animated and showed real emotion was when he defended cadre deployment. And as we now know, that goes all the way to the bench of the highest courts in the land.”
“Not the park bench,” interrupted Jean-Jay in his Gallic way, “where some deployed cadres would be on merit.”
“Useful!” agreed Jon the Joker to the astonishment of all.
“Fact is,” spoiled Stevie the Poet, “there is another side to this Ramaphosa story.”
And on that intriguing note, the Governor called time so that all could get home before curfew. So, to find out where this went, keep reading CBN Online!
