‘And so when we say we are for the people, that we want to put the people first, that we want to give you good education and health care for free, that we want to give you back the land that was stolen from your ancestors,’ – here Silas Mthimkhulu was interrupted by a greatly impassioned uproar, and had to wait a very long time before he could continue – ‘they try to make our putting you first seem like a bad and ugly thing. They try to make it look like their exploitation of you, your children, your land and your wealth, for a century, was somehow for your own good. They want you to think that small steps forward under their leadership were actual giant leaps. But you know the truth. Some of you went to war, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice because you knew the truth. You have always known the truth. You have always seen through their lies. You have never been fools. You have always been wise.’

In response, the crowd did many things at once – ululated, whistled, chanted, clapped, stomped – creating a deafening cacophony that made it very clear to all that if Silas Mthimkhulu were to run for the office of Prime Minister, many would vote for him.

Having taken the people exactly where he wanted them to go, Silas Mthimkhulu knew he could do with them whatever he pleased.

‘Now be honest with me, my good people. How many of you, when you saw posters of me around the townships asking you to vote for me as your Member of Parliament, thought to yourselves, ‘What does Silas Mthimkhulu the businessman know about politics?’

The crowd laughed shyly and sheepishly.

‘How many of you not only thought it, but said it out loud?’

The laughter grew more comfortable.

‘How many of you not only said it out loud to yourselves, but also to family and friends at home and at the beer garden?’

The comfortable laughter grew even more comfortable.

‘You were right to wonder, of course. It is your right to want competent people to lead you. But I ask you out here in the open: what is government if not a business? A government is about providing goods and services to its people. In order to do that, the government has to know how to trade. In order to do that, the government has to know how best to manage its resources.’

The crowd nodded at the apparent sagacity of his words.

‘Who then can better understand government than a businessman?’

‘Mthimkhulu! Mthimkhulu! Mthimkhulu!’

Even though the crowd was heartily chanting his name, Silas Mthimkhulu said, ‘I can see that some of you have doubts about my bona fides.’ The crowd predictably objected to this, to Silas Mthimkhulu’s great satisfaction. He continued, ‘I know some of you have heard rumours about me helping our boys cross over into Zambia … about me providing them with much-needed shelter, clothing, food and medical supplies.’