We do not exactly know where our destiny would be. We do not know how the creator designed our fate. Once we may be slaves, but may end up being a king. None of us know our destiny. Our fate is in the hands of the creator. Life is unpredictable.
This is what the writer of this piece witnessed last Wednesday in a newly inaugurated theater “Menta Menged” or crossroad a stage play which was translated by Alemayhu G/Hiwot and produced by Tekle Desta. On this theater, the king who lost his family because of war was taken as captive and sold to another king.
Lucky the king, who does not have any legal linage to his throne, shows affection to this slave boy immediately when he saw him. During the king’s tenure, the slave shows courage and good leadership skills. This has won respect from the king as well as officials in the palace. After the death of the king this young man took the throne and demonstrated his leadership quality to all his people.
But, his throne gets threatened when he realized his being a slave not set free, for his master had passed away without signing his freedom letter. Until the slave dealer exposed this, the secret that the king he was a slave was only known to some individuals in the palace. Let alone others, the king himself seemed ignorant to that.
When the prosecutor learnt that the slave dealer is exposing the secret, he decided to execute the dealer without any legal proceeding. However, while the dealer was on the death row, some woman, who was wrongly considered as a prostitute among the society , exposed the issue to the king and the slave dealer was brought into a closed trial.
The theme of the play revolves around the need for the supremacy of the rule of law and responsibility of every individual in fighting all forms of illegal practices. The play has clearly portrayed the negative impact of the absence of the rule of law in the life of every individual and how power is tempting. On the theater, the king gets himself on a crossroad.
He will be torn apart between observing the rule of law or following his whims and caprices. Darkness and light were facing each other. Wickedness and righteousness were at the verge of war.
At the beginning, it was darkness that seemed victorious. However, when the king became ready to put himself under the rule of law, light started to pierce darkness with its fingers of ray. Even if it is not directly displayed, most citizens in the kingdom are characterized as “yes men”.
They always run by what others say instead of using their brain to pass a sound judgment. If we can bring this into our country’s case, it clearly represents those “Yes men” in the social media who always echo and give a comment to what others dish out instead of balancing what is posted on Facebook with the reality.
The King, who is willing to renounce his power for the sake of rule of law, is truly a symbol of democratic rule adhering to justice. Despite all the opportunities and options he had to remain on his throne he was willing to accept the decision of the judge who is ready to scarify his life for the sake of justice.
However, unlike the judge, the prosecutor was against the rule of law. The play truly reflects what a genuine democracy means and the wise decision of leaders in all positions for sustainable peace. Above all, to a country like Ethiopia, which is in a transitional period towards fully realizing the rule of law and wisely handling the mass whose mind is poisoned by the “Fake News” of social media particularly Facebook, the play conveys a decisive message.
Herald March 24/2019
BY LEULSEGED WORKU
