Chapter 10: Time For Public Relations

…continued from 19 May 2026...

The meeting with Malik went extremely well. Johan found him exceptionally open to the idea and wondered what his real motivation was. Yet, just like Stanley, Malik’s one area of concern was in trusting Whitey. Johan just said: “It will not be a problem; you have my word.” And as ridiculous as that had sounded, Malik somehow knew that this guy was deadly serious and he was not someone who gave his word lightly.

Now to Elaine, Johan thought. How would he get the opportunity to meet with Ms Pecker without the national press getting wind of it?

Natasha Wakefield owned a small but very successful Public Relations and Communications company based on the Foreshore. Johan had used her for several product and marketing activations and was impressed by her professionalism. He picked up the phone and dialed her number.

“Natasha, I have a favour to ask,” he said into the receiver.

“Yes Johan, what is it?” her reply was curt, but not offensive, always wanting to get to the point.

“Can you be in my office tomorrow morning at 09:00?”

She had an existing meeting, but said, “I’ll be there,” and hung up the phone.

Natasha immediately made a phone call and rearranged her schedule.

Johan’s office was modest. It was sparsely furnished which gave the room a bigger feel than it actually was. His desk was bare, save for a telephone, a computer cable where he would attach his laptop, and a photo of his wife Lola. The top floor office boasted a spectacular view over the Cape Waterfront and Harbour. Today the weather was overcast and nippy. He was glad he had remembered his overcoat this morning.

Natasha arrived at precisely 08:55. After declining the offer for coffee or tea from Johan’s personal assistant, she followed her into Johan’s office.

“Hello Natasha,” Johan said with genuine warmth. “Thank you for making the time.”

“Hello Johan, how can Southern Star Communications be of assistance?” She wanted to come straight to the point. The client she had rescheduled was not too happy and she needed to go over there to do some relationship repair work.

“Natasha, I have a request that requires the utmost discretion, I need a meeting with Elaine Pecker.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow, intrigued, but said nothing, sensing that Johan would explain.

“I would like to speak to Ms Pecker about a campaign contribution; however, I am not sure about the political ramifications and how it might reflect on my business profile. So, my need is two-fold, I need you to research the impact of a contribution on the rest of the political parties and what the correct protocol would be.”

Johan paused, allowing her to absorb everything. He wanted her to be convinced that he was genuinely interested in making a contribution. He knew however that any contribution he made would have to be made public and that he would also have to contribute to the other political parties. Thus, he cloaked his request in the form of a research assignment.

“I know that I would have to go public if I were to make a contribution, but I thought that I would meet with Ms Pecker privately to discuss the matter with her first. I must stress that the meeting must remain secret and out of the media.

In fact, I would like to suggest that even Ms Pecker be unaware of the true nature of the meeting. Am I making myself clear?”

“Absolutely,” Natasha said. “What is the time-frame Johan?” she asked. Her chiselled features did not betray the excitement she was feeling inside her belly.

“By the end of next week, it must have happened.”

That’s impossible, she thought, instead she said “I’ll take care of it.”

“Oh, and one other thing,” Johan said.

“Yes?”

“This meeting never happened.”

“What meeting?”

Natasha left Johan’s office feeling a warm sense of pride and achievement. Ever since she decided to enter Public Relations, she had always dreamed of managing a small but influential client portfolio.

She had no doubt that Johan would pay handsomely for the meeting and that his asking her to arrange it was a definite sign of his trust and respect for her. She would not let him down.

Elaine read the morning paper and smiled. For once they had got it right. “Reporters,” she thought with disdain, “a necessary albatross around the neck!”

The report accurately stated that she was confident of winning taking on the DC candidate for the position of Mayor of Cape Town. The article also made a point of quoting her vow to bring an end to the poor service delivery in places like Delft, Mitchells Plain, Blackheath and surrounds while the previously white segregated areas continued to enjoy pristine living.

Meanwhile the press also ran articles on how the DC and other opposition parties were attacking the ANC on issues of institutionalised corruption and cronyism.

Elaine was regarded as a dark horse, with an outside chance. The big boys were too busy fighting each other to take too much notice her.

She put down the paper and sipped on her Rooibos tea. The unique taste was refreshing and calming. It always made her think of her grandma who had introduced her to the different taste of Rooibos tea.

She loved her grandma dearly and was just 12-years-old when Ma died from pneumonia. The hacking cough had grown worse every winter and the damp walls of the one-bedroom council house in Bishop Lavis where Ma lived did nothing to improve the situation.

Continued tomorrow 21 May 2026, before 12pm