Setting: Madingo Golf Club — Wednesday evening, a week after the altercation between Mayor Mossi, Ted, and Seymour.
Introduction
In Act 1 Scene 3 of The Samaritan by John Lara, political corruption and desperation take center stage. The scene captures how powerful figures manipulate the media, the law, and even criminal gangs to protect their positions. It’s a tense and revealing moment that shows the extent of moral decay in leadership within Maracas Municipality.
Summary and Analysis
The scene unfolds in the Jungle Room of Madingo Golf Club, where Mayor Mossi, Inspector Bembe, and Harvester meet secretly to discuss the growing Samaritan crisis. Mayor Mossi has called his close allies together to craft a strategy to fight back against the corruption allegations flooding the Samaritan app.
Inspector Bembe begins by revealing that he fears for his life after reading numerous accusations about himself — including corruption, drug trafficking, and extortion. Harvester admits he too has been accused of abusing his office, particularly for banning the use of certain applications. Mayor Mossi sympathizes, revealing that even he faces accusations of municipal capture, the worst form of corruption.
Mossi informs them that his media contacts have confirmed Basdeo is behind the smear campaign. Newspaper headlines claim that Bembe grabbed Maracas University land to build the Madingo Golf Club, and a lobby group is preparing to sue. The papers even link Bembe to the Ghetto Gang, a notorious criminal outfit. Mossi downplays the threat, promising to help allocate the university alternative land — but Bembe swears revenge against Ramdaye, who sold him the property.
To contain the damage, Mossi directs Harvester to prepare a press statement refuting all allegations and to organize daily press conferences to project normal operations at the municipal offices. Their goal is to convince the public that all accusations on The Samaritan app and in newspapers are lies spread by political losers.
Meanwhile, a bigger problem looms — a vote of no confidence spearheaded by Ted, Seymour, and Ramdaye. Bembe proposes arresting them, but Harvester advises against it, urging caution. Mossi instead plans to deploy his Red Eagle gang to block any meeting from taking place. Bembe offers to assist by sending his GhettoBoyz and undercover police officers.
The discussion grows darker as Mossi suggests bribing The Blackman, the Red Eagle leader, to organize chaos in town by burning tyres and creating panic. They even consider approaching Ms. Nicole, a teacher, to censor or edit posts on the Samaritan app. While Mossi doubts her cooperation, Bembe offers to “persuade” her — a suggestion Mossi quickly dismisses as too aggressive.
Finally, Mossi proposes using his influence over Justice Jaden, the judge, to imprison Ramdaye, Ted, and Seymour — a move that would silence them while pleasing the public. Harvester recommends spreading damaging stories about Basdeo and Justice Jaden if they refuse to cooperate. The scene ends with Mayor Mossi vowing to implement their plan the next day