Robert Mugabe and tale of the tortoise
By Tayo Ogunbiyi
17 November 2017
In different parts of Africa, local folklore is a way of life, especially in the rural areas. Most of the evenings are enjoyed with children listening to various fascinating folktales. Aside their huge entertaining perspective, local fables also teach several morals that tend to help shape children into holding the right standpoints in life. Of all local tales that are told across Africa, the ones revolving around the tortoise seem to be quite thrilling. By casting tortoise in the mould of a shrewd, tricky and sly character, tortoise stories are always full of intrigues and suspense.
However, one thing that recurs in all of tortoise tales is that the animal often ends up being a victim of its own deceitful designs. In one of its famous accounts that I could still very much recall, tortoise was about to embark on a journey and was asked when it would return from the trip. Characteristically, its response was quite intriguing: Not until I am disgraced. And that was exactly what happened.
There is, of course, a huge parallel between the aforementioned tortoise’s tale and the story of (erstwhile?) Zimbabwean strongman, Robert Gabriel Mugabe. According to tales coming out of the country, Zimbabwe’s military leaders have seized control of the poor southern African nation, placing its life-leader, Mugabe, under house arrest and deploying tanks to the streets of the capital, Harare. In a dramatic televise
