Chapter 46: The Money Box Campaign
…continued from 24 June 2026…
FIRST TIME HERE? NO PROBLEM – START AT THE BEGINNING – WARNING YOU WILL BECOME ADDICTED TO THE STORY.
“Dankie (thank you),” said Elaine. “Because we ARE idiots, that’s why, and we must stop being idiots, and we must stop it right now!” Elaine’s voice got louder. “Enough!” she pounded her fist onto the pulpit, glaring at the congregation. The press felt the moment was at hand.
“I want you all to vote for me in two weeks, and I promise you I will make a change in your life, I promise you I will fix your schools, I promise you I will clean your roads and neighbourhoods from the rubbish that litters it, I promise you I will build green areas for your kids to connect with nature.
I promise you I will make sure that the police patrol your neighbourhoods regularly and that another Whitney does not happen,” Elaine’s voice was getting louder with each promise and she became more animated.
The congregation responded with a soft yes to each promise, getting louder and louder.
The media representatives were less impressed and felt that they’d heard the promises all before and that Elaine was just another silver-tongued politician making empty promises.
As though she could read their thoughts, Elaine looked directly at the press corps and said: “I know what you’re thinking…” Then she looked back at the congregation. “You’ve heard it all before, haven’t you?!”
“Well, this time it’s different.”
She let the statement hang in the air for a while before continuing.
“When you leave here, you will find that my team has put up stalls outside where we will be giving away a small money box with my face on it and the logo of my party. At the same time, my team has put up these stalls with these money boxes at every church and Mosque across the Cape Flats and the platteland (countryside)”
“And…?” thought the press, “so what?”
Elaine did not pause long this time. “Inside the money box you will find some money for you to invest in your community.”
The media guys looked at each other.
Members of the congregation looked at each other.
“Yes, you heard right, inside the money box there is some money for you. The amount ranges from R5 to as much as R1000.”
A few people got up to go out, but were blocked at the door.
“Don’t leave your seats until I have finished,” Elaine said, “everyone will get something and the best is yet to come.” Some of the press guys activated the recording option on their devices and began livestreaming. “You can use the money you find to do something good for yourself and the community, and if you do, I will double the amount you find in the money box.”
The crowd were now quite excited.
“And if you have a project that we can implement together, I have also convinced local business to triple the amount you find in the money box to try to make that project happen. R5 may not be much, but it is a lot of money for a beggar on the street, and it can change the course of a country if combined with other R5 coins.”
The media and the congregation felt that something else was coming.
“But I have saved the best for last,” said Elaine.
“Here it comes,” thought the press.
The congregation went silent again.
Continued tomorrow 26 June 2026, before 12pm
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