?Yes, Minister.? Resignedly. Not for the first time did Janina wonder why politicians were more sensitive about TV than about newspapers.
?Every half hour there is something new over the radio. And the more they talk, the more he becomes a hero. And we look like the Gestapo.? A dainty fist emphasized her words on the wood of the desktop, her voice rose half an octave. ?This cannot continue. I want solutions. We have a public relations crisis. What do I tell the president when he calls? And he will call. What do I say??
?Minister ? ,? said Janina.
?Two agents at the airport. Two Rooivalk helicopters and a whole brigade at Three Sisters and you don'?t even know where he is.?
Janina had no answer.
And everyone wonders why the rand falls and the world laughs. At Africa. At bungling, backward Africa. I am tired of that attitude. Sick to death of it. This cabinet?? the minister stood up, too angry to sit, her hands bracketing her words??labors night and day, battling the odds, and what support do we get from the civil service? Bungling. Lame excuses. Is that good enough??
Janina stared at the carpet. The minister drew a deep breath, collected herself, and sat down again.
?Minister,? said the director in his soft, diplomatic tones, ?while we are speaking frankly, may I place a few points on the record. This is the first well-planned counterintelligence operation we have attempted, and may I say it is high time. It is not only necessary but also ingenious. Creative. Nothing that has happened has jeopardized the purpose of the mission. On the contrary, the longer this develops, the more genuine it will look to the CIA. Granted, things haven?t unfolded as planned, but that is the way life goes.?
?Is that what I must say to the president, Mr. Director? That is the way life goes?? Her tone was sarcastic and cold.
The director?s tone echoed hers: ?Minister, you know shifting blame is not my style, but if the members of the police service were loyal to the collective state, the media would not be having a field day. Perhaps we should place the blame where it belongs: at the door of the minister of safety and security. It is high time he sorted this out.?
?This operation is my responsibility. My portfolio.? She had calmed down, but the mood was fragile.
?But the behavior of another department is jeopardizing the operation. Undermining it. We don'?t shirk taking our punishment, but it must be deserved. The circumstances at the airport were such that we wanted to avoid an incident. Our people acted with circumspection. As for the weather: our influence does not stretch that far.? Janina had never heard the director speak with such passion.
The minister was silenced. The director continued: ?Consider for a moment the possibility that we can make a fool of the mighty CIA. Think what it would be worth on every conceivable level. Let them laugh at Africa. We will laugh last.?
?Will we??
?We will conclude the operation successfully. And speedily. But someone must deal severely with the police.?
?How quickly can you conclude this operation??
Janina knew it was her call: ?Two days, Minister. No more.?
?Are you sure??
?Minister, if the Department of Defence and the police work together, I will stake my professional reputation on it.? Janina heard herself say it and wondered if she believed it.
?They will cooperate,? said the minister fiercely. ?What do I tell the media??
Janina had the answer. ?There are two possibilities. One is to say nothing.?
?Nothing? Have you any idea how many phone calls this office has had this morning??
?Minister, no country in the world allows the media to interfere with covert operations. Why should we allow it here? Whatever you say, the media will write and broadcast what they wish; they will twist your words or use them against us. Ignore them; show them we will not be intimidated. Tomorrow, the day after, there will be some other event to attract their attention.?
The minister thought a long time. ?And the second possibility??
?We use the media to our advantage.?
?Explain.?
?The line between hero and villain is very narrow, Minister. It often depends on how the facts are interpreted.?
?Go on.?
?The fugitive was previously a member of a drug network that contributed to the collapse of the social structure and ruined the children on the Cape Flats. He misused his MK training for intimidation and violence. We suspect he is still involved? there are large unexplained sums of money in his bank account. He is a man who does not hesitate to parasitize an innocent woman and her child; he does not even have his own house. A reckless man who has seriously injured a young white soldier with deliberate intent, a man who twice chose to obstruct the purposes of the state when he had the chance to surrender himself. Innocent people, good citizens, or heroes do not become fugitives. There are many ex-MK who followed another path. Who chose to build this nation, not break it down. Who even now fight the good fight in the midst of unemployment and poverty. And all we need to do is turn the facts over to the media.?
The minister of intelligence nudged the gold-rimmed glasses farther up the bridge of her nose, thoughtful.
?It can work,? she said.
?You prefer the second option??
