The premier turned the car onto a short, cobblestone driveway with a
black gate. There was a guardhouse and several guards standing
around, but the black SUV was promptly allowed onto the property. It
seemed to Manyoni as if his boss had been there before.
They parked, and Magashule led the mayor up some steps and into
the main entrance of one of the garish mansions that cluttered the
expansive property. A male servant directed them to a sitting room with
comfortable sofas. He also offered them tea, small cakes and cookies, a
gesture that lent itself to what Manyoni perceived as a laid-back,
informal atmosphere. But his comfort was short-lived.
They had not waited long before a chubby character with black hair
and a moustache made his entrance. Manyoni thought he recognised
the man’s face. Before the mayor could figure out if he had seen the
man before, Magashule introduced him as Atul Gupta. ‘This is the
person you will be working with,’ Magashule told their host after
giving Manyoni a brief introduction.
The mayor did not know what that was supposed to mean, but his
bafflement quickly gave way to disbelief as Magashule and Atul got
into the details of a plan that had clearly been in the making for some
time.
Magashule explained that he would vacate his position as Free State
premier not long after the elections. Apparently, he was due to be
included in President Jacob Zuma’s cabinet as the new national
minister of communications. This was an important portfolio to Atul
and his family, given their ventures in broadcasting and print media.
The plan was for Manyoni to become the new premier of the Free
State. Atul told Manyoni that he viewed the province as an important
partner in his family’s businesses. He also boasted about the power and
nora
(Nora)
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