SATIRE | Being summoned by the boss on a Sunday at short notice was never the norm. He would normally pack off to the isigodi, or village in the Zulu language. But ever since madam set herself up as “FLOM” – first lady of ministry, the summonses have become more frequent.

He doesn’t resent the boss. After all, he had been a hard-working, principled and upright man who had admirers across the divide. But lately, Lady Macbeth (as they refer to her) has been doing the calling – for the trivial of reasons.

He had a late night – a nephew’s wedding party, where more liquor than air sirup flowed. The hangover was bothering him and after cleansing his mouth (God forbid if she or anyone smells the vapour of stale alcohol) with a peppermint-flavoured wash, the drive to the government bungalow was uneventful.

His colleagues were already there and this was supposed to be an emergency meeting. The boss, dispensing with the formalities made the grim announcement.

“We can’t control them anymore. After all we had done, their minds are as free as the winds blow. We cannot contain their outflow of ideas and thoughts, which will cause us problems in the future.

“Too many of these people are espousing their thoughts and exercising their rights, aided and abetted by the foreign media and a handful of local journos...